 TITLE: Can You Use a Credit Card at an ATM? CONTENT: Alternatives to Using Your Credit Card at an ATM\n------------------------------------------------\nBecause cash advances typically come with high costs and can affect your credit score, it's a good idea to look into alternatives. Those options include:\n*   **Loan from friends or family:** You may be able to ask a friend or relative for a loan. Be sure, though, to treat your loan just like you would a loan with a bank. Put your repayment agreement in writing and keep up your end of the bargain by making regular payments (potentially with interest).\n*   **Lending circle:** You may not be familiar with a lending circle, but it could be a valid alternative to a cash advance. A lending circle lets you borrow money and pay little to no interest—and your credit score might even get a boost. The nonprofit Mission Asset Fund provides lending circles and reports lending activity to the three national consumer credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax).\n*   **Use the credit card to make a purchase:** Instead of getting a cash advance and paying fees and higher interest, it might make more financial sense to simply make the purchase with the card.\n*   **Debt consolidation loan:** A debt consolidation loan rolls existing debt into one new loan, normally at a lower interest rate than the existing debt. This enables you to make a single monthly payment rather than many payments to various lenders. A debt consolidation loan can free up more money in your budget and help you avoid the need for a cash advance.\nThere are other options as well, but they are best to be avoided. These include payday loans, title loans and pawn shop loans. People often turn to payday loans because they do not require collateral. Payday lenders usually charge high fees as well as triple-digit APRs. Unfortunately, these loans can worsen your financial situation if you don't pay them off as soon as possible. Payday loans are a last-ditch alternative to cash advances. END