With the holidays just around the corner, credit card issuers are gearing up with some great deals to ring Santa's bell. At least four major issuers are dangling short-term 0% intro APRs in front of U.S.consumers while other issuers are offering low single digit APRs, smart cards and a jazzed up Titanium card. The new Fleet Fusion smart VISA offers a six month 0% APR for new purchases only. Providian's Platinum VISA offers a 0% intro rate on new purchases and a 2.99% intro rate for balance transfers. Discover recently cut its Platinum Discover intro APR offer from 2.9% to 0% for purchases and 5.9% for balance transfers. Capital One's brand new Kmart MasterCard is offering a six month 0% rate on Kmart purchases only. Despite a marketing pullback this year, First USA is hitting mailboxes with a newly revised Titanium VISA offer with a 1.9% intro APR that requires a balance transfer and a 3% balance transfer fee. The Citigroup Universal Platinum MasterCard is also alive and well with a 2.9% intro, good thru July,  for balance transfers of more than $3,500, otherwise a 3.9% intro rate for balance transfer applies. Chase is offering a nine month intro rate of 2.99% on its Platinum MasterCard that applies only to balance transfers.  Affinity card king, MBNA is heavily promoting its L.L. Bean Platinum VISA this season with a 3.9% intro APR that applies to cash advance check transactions or balance transfers. CT-based People's Bank is offering a six month 4.9% intro APR on its Platinum MasterCard that applies to new purchases and balance transfers. Finally Bank of America's Platinum VISA is promoting an 8.9% intro rate that applies to balance transfers until paid in-full and to new purchases for six months.

                           TOP 10  PRE-XMAS  OFFERS  FOR  2000   
   ISSUER                          PRODUCT            INTRO     
PERIOD        GO-TO        
1.  Fleet               Fusion smart VISA            0%          6 mos.    f11.99%       
2.  Providian           Platinum VISA                0%          3mos.     P+5.49%     
3.  Discover            Platinum                     0%          4/01      f14.99%        
4.  Capital One         Kmart MasterCard             0%          6mos      P+10.3%      
5.  First USA           Titanium VISA               1.9%         5/01      P+5.90%     
6.  Citigroup           Universal Platinum  MC      2.9%         7/01      P+5.99%       
7.   Chase              Platinum MC                 2.99%        9mos      P+5.49%        
8.  MBNA                L.L. Bean Platinum VISA     3.9%         2/01      f16.99%        
9.  People's Bank       Platinum MasterCard         4.9%         6mos.     f13.90%        
10.  Bank of America    Platinum VISA               8.9%         6mos       P+7.9% 

f-fixed; mos.-months; P-Prime Rate     Source CardWeb.com