Best UK Credit Cards

A credit card can be useful in a number of different situations. You’ve got the one off emergency – that crack in the car windscreen or the broken down washing machine. Or perhaps the big treat – the holiday in the sun or the new TV. A credit card can even be used for day to day shopping. People use credit cards in many different ways. And banks provide credit cards to cater for this.

If you’re in the market for a new credit card then the best advice is to shop around. There are plenty of options out there to suit different uses. Think about how you’re going to use it, and this will help you select the card to match your needs. Credit cards vary widely in their interest rates, but this won’t be a concern if you plan on paying the card off in full each month. If you are going to use the card to borrow, then think about the kinds of transactions you’ll be primarily using, since interest rates on purchases are often different to interest rates on balance transfers. If you’re planning on using the card abroad, pay attention to any fees or charges that apply for international purchases.

So what are some of the the best UK credit cards? If you’re over 18 and have a regular income, there are many to choose from. Here are four cards that suit a range of needs:

-          Halifax One

The Halifax All In One credit card offers a good rate for both balance transfers and purchases. It’s got a 0% rate on balance and purchases for the first 13 months. This gives a lot of flexibility in transferring money and using your credit card for those big purchases.

-          NatWest YourPoints World MasterCard

This is a good one for existing NatWest Customers. It allows you to accrue points towards all manner of purchases – holidays, flights, cosmetics, books. It’s got an interest rate of 17.95%, with an introductory offer of 0% on balance transfers and purchases for 13 months.

-          NatWest student credit card

Just because you’re a student doesn’t mean you should be denied a flexible friend. Most banks offer credit cards specifically tailored toward students. This one from NatWest has an interest rate of 18.9%. It’s got a maximum credit limit of £500, which is a good way for first time credit card holders to keep in control of their finances. It’s also got a whole host of discounts on everything from DVD rentals to iPods to wine club membership.

-          RBS private card

At the other end of the scale is this card for RBS customers with a large income. The minimum income required to apply for this one is £100,000, or a £150,000 joint income. It’s got a 0% interest rate on balance transfers for 13 months and on purchases for 6 months. After this introductory period, you get a very low interest rate of 14.94% for both. The minimum credit limit is £5,000.

Whatever your circumstances, there are credit cards out there to suit your needs; it’s just a question of knowing what you’re after and where to look.

Halifax Credit Card

The Halifax One Credit Card is one of the more popular credit cards on the UK market. It has some very competitive balance transfer & purchase rates. There is 0% for 9 months on purchases and balance transfers transferred in the first 90 days, there is a 3% balance transfer rate that will be applied.

Some of the other great benefits are:

• 0% for 9 months on balance transfers made in the first 90 days
• 0% for the first 9 months on purchases
• A typical rate of 15.9% APR (variable)
• A handling fee of 3% applies for each balance transfer

Why not apply online now using the online application form and in most cases you could get an decision immediately.

Remember if you want to benefit from the 0% rate you must stay within your credit limit and make your monthly payments on time. Please note that balances transferred from other Halifax or Bank of Scotland cards are not eligible for the 0% balance transfer offer.

Other great benefits that come with the Halifax One Card are:

• Cover against online fraud when purchasing on the Internet
• Card replacement if lost
• No interest will be charged on purchases if every statement balance is paid in full by the payment date
• No annual fee
• Manage your card online
• Around the clock service
• Accepted wherever you see the MasterCard sign in over 24 million locations worldwide
• Additional cards available
• You can Protect your credit cards with our comprehensive cover plans

Click Here to Apply for your Halifax Card now:

 

Tuxedo MasterCard® Prepaid Card

The new Tuxedo Prepaid card is for everyone. You won’t need to go through any credit checks and you don’t even need a bank account. You can open it up like a regular account by having your salray or wages paid directly into your eccount and set up multiple standing orders and direct debit payments. You get £5 free on your first top up.

Backed by Mastercard you can use it in 26 million locations around the world as well as 1.2 million ATMS’s and evenonline.

Main Features summarised

Manage your money:

1. Check you balance 24hrs a day, online by text or by phone and get “low balance” text alerts.
2. Share money between cards.
3. View your balance online or by mobile phone.

Control:

1. You can store money off your card eccount for extra security.
2. Block and Unblock cards whenever you want.

Top-up:

1. Top-up your card as you go with over 36,000 locations in the UK, incl paypoints and the Post Office.
2. Top-up online by bank transfer or by sending in cheques.

Use:

1. You can Pay bills, spend in-store and shop online.
2. Set up standing orders and direct debit payments.

Withdraw Cash:

1. Withdraw cash from over 1.2 million ATM’S Wordwide.

The Amex 5% Cash Back Credit Card

American Express Platinum Credit Cards offer one of the most competitive cash back rewards scheme around. With 5% cashback on all your everyday spending you will be rewarded in many ways which will allow you to put more money back into your pocket. You will get 5% cashback everytime you use your platinum credit card in the first 3 months up to £100. There after you earn 1.5% cashback with no limit on how much you can earn.

Key Features:

• Earn 5% cashback for the first 3 months up to a max of £100
• Earn 1.5% thereafter with no limit on how much you earn
• Purcahse Protection Benefit. (Agreat feature in todays climate of credit card fraud)
• Refund Protection Benefit
• Online Fraud Guarantee
• Travel Accident Benefit up to £150,000

For a full list of benefits go to the American Express Platinum Website

Virgin Credit Card | 0% on Balance Transfers for 16 months

Virgin Credit Card are always leading the way in their offers for balances transfers. If you are looking to transfer a balance then Virgin will charge no interest for a full 16 months. Virgin are always offering one of the most competitive rates on the credit card market. Just read the fine print as there may be some rather high interest rates that you are charged for other uses other than those on offer.

Benefits include:

• 0% Balance Transfer for 16 months
• 0% on purchases for 6 months
• 16.6% APR (variable) (1.2916% monthly)

As always there is a 2.98% handling fee (min £3) when you transfer a balance.

Other interest rate charges:

• Cheque transactions – 20.6% p.a (variable) 1.5766% (monthly)
• Money transfers – 20.6% p.a (variable) 1.5766% (monthly)
• Cash Transactions – 27.9% p.a (variable) 2.0751% (monthly)

Here something most people don’t know is that the allocation of payments (which balances are paid off first) is as follows:

The balances with the lowest rate will be paid off first as the credit card company will want to make the most off of you. If you have 2 balances that are on the same rate the payment will be allocated to the the balances which has its promotional rate ending first.