Creditors scare me. I never know what to say to them, or how to say it. I don’t know when to be stern and when to be sweet. I fumble over words and never fully get my point across, which in most cases is “I want a lower rate.”

 “Believe it or not, many consumers have saved hundreds and even thousands of dollars by simply making a 5 minute phone call and asking their issuer for a lower rate.  I’ve done this myself many times over the years, so I know it works,” said Curtis Arnold, the founder of I.S. Citizens for Fair Credit Card Terms, Inc.

Armed with these five tips courtesy of Arnold, I gave it another shot.

1. Always be courteous and professional
2. Say that you’re aware that there are better offers available to you- mention specific low-rate offers from other card issuers
3. Point out your good track record and your good credit score
4. Explain that you’d like to continue using the card- and plan on doing so-if your rate is lowered
5. If the answer is “no,” politely ask to speak to a supervisor, and repeat steps 1 to 4. Talking to a supervisor is often worth it because the customer service reps are more limited in their ability to make account changes.