1.   Bankcard Holders of America offers lists of low-rate cards, secured credit cards and rebate cards, with details about how the cards work in many cases.

2.   General Electric and Apple Computer have similar rebate cards.

3.   General Electric Co. and Chase Manhattan also have introduced cash-back cards, though neither program equaled the success of auto or gasoline rebate cards.

4.   These steps include rejecting incomplete rebate response cards and anything but the original bar codes, Giordano said.