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October 2024's savings
Save up to £763.84* in interest with a 0% balance transfer card
Get approved for a credit card quickly
Add your details to our eligibility checker
Explore your options from top credit card providers
Choose the right card for your needs
986,823 customers have visited Uswitch to explore credit cards this year
22,176 people used our eligibility checker in October 2024
*£763.84 is a representative example of the interest a customer would save in the first 12 months. Example based on a £3,500 balance transferred from a card with 29.8% APR to a 0% card for 30 months, then 24.9% (variable), with a fixed monthly payment of £175. Representative APR 24.9%. See more here: Uswitch savings
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Uswitch Limited is a credit broker, not a lender, for consumer credit.
Our services are provided at no cost to you. We may receive a commission from the companies we refer you to, but this does not affect what you will pay for the product you choose.
What is a credit card?
Credit cards are a flexible way of borrowing money to pay for goods or services. The credit card provider sets a limit on how much you can spend on the card, as well as the interest you’ll be charged on your borrowing, based on your financial circumstances.
How do they work?
Every month you’re billed for the debt you’ve accumulated on your credit cards, which is known as the balance. You have a few options on how much you pay back. There's a minimum monthly amount you need to pay back to avoid penalties, usually that’s a fixed amount or a percentage of your balance. The remaining balance will be rolled over to next month’s billing cycle and you’ll be charged interest based on the APR that you were offered when your application was approved. You can pay any amount over the minimum back too - which reduces the amount of money you'll be charged interest on. If you pay off the full balance, you won't be charged any interest. You generally get up to 56 days between buying something and interest being charged, which means if you pay off your balance in full each month, they're effectively free to use.
Types of credit cards
Balance transfer credit cards
Balance transfer credit cards allow you to transfer debt from one credit card provider to another and pay no interest on that debt for a set period. Some of the leading deals give you 0% interest for as long as two years or even more.
Compare balance transfer cards0% purchase credit cards
With a 0% purchase credit card, no interest is charged on debt built up through new purchases you make on the card for a set period. But you still have to at least pay back the minimum amount requested each month.
Compare 0% purchase credit cardsMoney transfer credit cards
Money transfer credit cards allow you to transfer cash into your current account. This means you can pay off any kind of debt or spend as you see fit. Money transfer cards are typically used to pay off expensive overdrafts or as a cheap loan.
Compare money transfer cardsCashback and reward credit cards
Some credit cards give you rewards or cashback on purchases. They usually have higher interest rates and often charge annual fees, but you can benefit from perks like airmiles and shopping cashback.
Compare cashback and reward cardsTravel credit cards
Travel credit cards let you make purchases overseas without having to pay the foreign transaction fees charged by standard credit and debit cards. Instead, this type of card uses the payment issuer's exchange rate to work out the price in pounds.
Compare travel credit cardsCredit building credit cards
If you have a poor credit score, you might still be able to get a credit building or bad credit credit card. These credit cards are aimed at those with a less than perfect credit history and can help customers improve their credit score.
Compare credit building credit cardsUnlock the best credit card deals for you
See which credit cards you're eligible for in just a few clicks
How section 75 protects your credit card spending
There's an additional benefit to spending on a credit card rather than a debit card or with cash too. Thanks to Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, if you're buying something costing over £100 and up to £30,000 using a credit card to pay for any part of it, the card provider is held jointly liable if things go wrong. That means you can apply to them for a refund (for the full purchase amount) if the seller lets you down - especially useful for things like holidays and purchases abroad, where you might not have the same rights to refunds as you have in the UK.
How to apply for a credit card
You must be at least 18 years old and a UK resident to apply for a credit card. Acceptance depends on your financial situation. After choosing your card, here’s how the application process works:
Pros and cons
Pros
Cons
FAQs
What you need to apply for a credit card
In terms of what you will need to provide, it's generally straightforward. Questions you can expect on a credit card application include:
Your name
Contact information
Date of birth
Address and how long you have lived there
Residential status (tenant, owner, living with parents, etc)
Your annual income
On a balance transfer or money transfer credit card application, you will need to have the details of the other accounts you are transferring to your new credit card.
How many credit cards should I have?
There’s no prescribed number of credit cards you should have. It all depends on your personal circumstances, but it’s a good idea for most people to have at least two credit cards. One for everyday spending that helps earn rewards or cashback, which you’d preferably pay off in full every month. And then another, which you keep for emergencies to pay for unexpected expenses, such as car repairs or having to travel at short notice.
What's the difference between a credit card and a debit card?
While physically they might look and operate the same way, the difference is in the source of funds the card is using. A credit card allows users to borrow money up to a predetermined limit, which you pay back with interest if not paid in full every month. Debit cards, on the other hand, are linked to your account and directly deduct funds for purchases, requiring sufficient balance without incurring interest.
How do you cancel a credit card?
To cancel a credit card you no longer wish to have, you’ll first have to make sure you pay off any remaining balance on the card. Once you've done that you can contact your credit card provider and ask them to cancel the card. Once the card has been cancelled, check your credit report to make sure it’s been reflected on your credit record. This won’t happen right away, so wait a few weeks after you cancel the card to check your credit report.
Cancelling a credit card can impact your credit score as it’ll affect your credit utilisation, which is the percentage of overall borrowing against your total available credit. A high credit utilisation ratio can lead lenders to think your finances are a bit tight.
How Uswitch compares credit cards
What does ‘most popular’ and ‘popularity’ mean?
When we use the term ‘most popular or ‘popularity’ on Uswitch in reference to credit cards, these cards are ranked by the number of clicks they have received on the site in the past 30 days.
The most clicked on cards are at the top, with the least at the bottom. This reflects how popular they are with visitors to Uswitch.com. Consequently, this is a good table to look at if you’re interested in seeing which cards most people think are worth getting.
Does Uswitch compare all the credit cards on the market?
We compare over 100 credit cards from all of the major banks and credit card providers.
However, we do not compare all the credit cards that are available in the UK.
This is because some credit card providers have offers that are only available exclusively through their own website or branch, or through other comparison websites - in the same way some credit cards are exclusively available through Uswitch.
There are also many credit cards that are only available to people in member organisations and clubs.
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