Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a key figure that helps you compare credit card offers more easily. It represents the total cost of borrowing on a credit card, including both the interest rate and any standard fees (like annual fees or late payment charges).

After any introductory 0% interest period ends, the APR will tell you how much you'll pay on any outstanding balances. Generally, a higher APR means higher interest charges and larger repayments, so it’s important to find a card with a competitive APR, especially if you’re carrying a balance after the promotional period.

Yes, you could be offered a shorter introductory period than advertised. If you have a lower credit rating or past credit issues, credit card providers may offer you less favourable terms, such as a shorter 0% period. To get the best deal, it's important to improve your credit score before applying.

Most credit card providers charge a balance transfer fee of around 3% when you move your debt from one card to another. This varies between cards and providers.

As the fee is worked out as a percentage, the cost of the transfer fee will rise with the amount you transfer.

The rate you see advertised isn’t necessarily the rate you will get. Credit card providers only have to give the typical APR they advertise to 51% of successful applicants. If you don’t have a good credit score, you might be given a higher APR.

Check that the rate you see advertised is the rate you will actually get to avoid a shock when your first statement arrives. Again, getting your credit rating into good shape will help your chances of getting the best deals.

Your options for balance transfer credit cards will be limited if you have bad credit. Most credit cards transfer deals will only accept people with a good or excellent credit rating.

You might have a higher chance of being approved for a credit card for bad credit.

A balance transfer can temporarily impact your credit score, but it may improve it in the long run. When you apply for a balance transfer credit card, the lender performs a hard credit check, which can cause a short-term dip in your score. Additionally, opening a new account may lower the average age of your credit history, which can also affect your score.

However, if you use the balance transfer to pay off debt more efficiently, especially if you take advantage of a 0% introductory period, it could improve your score over time. To minimise any negative impact, avoid applying for multiple balance transfer cards at once, don’t close old accounts immediately after the transfer, and pay off your debt during the interest-free period.

A balance transfer doesn't count as your monthly payment until it's completed. Once the transfer is done, it will count toward the minimum payment, as long as the transfer amount covers the minimum required and is processed on time. It's always worth checking your lender's terms to confirm that this is the case.

You can typically transfer between £100 and up to 93% (or even 95% with some providers) of the debt you owe on your existing credit cards to a balance transfer card. However, the transfer amount is limited by the credit card provider’s terms and conditions, including balance transfer fees and pending purchases.

If the transfer limit isn’t enough to cover your total debt, you can apply for multiple balance transfer cards to consolidate your debt, but always be mindful of the impact this could have on your credit score.

The time it takes to transfer a credit card balance depends on whether you're transferring to an existing or new card. If you're transferring to an existing balance transfer card, it can take as little as one working day, though delays can occur if it's after business hours or additional checks are needed.

For a new balance transfer card, the process usually takes between 5-10 working days. This is because your account will need to be activated before the transfer can be completed. Always continue making payments on your original card until the transfer is complete to avoid extra fees or interest.

After you transfer a balance to a new credit card your old account will remain open unless you contact the provider to close it. It's advisable to keep the original account open until the balance transfer is complete to avoid missing any payments or accumulating interest.

If you choose to close the account, be sure to destroy the card. Keeping the account open could benefit your credit score by lowering your credit utilisation ratio, but there are also potential downsides, such as the temptation to spend or having to pay annual fees.

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.

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.