19 months 0% balance transfer (3.45% transfer fee applies. Terms and conditions apply).
Earn up to 15% cashback automatically when you spend at a range of participating retailers with Barclaycard Cashback Rewards. This is a new benefit, available to all Barclaycard Visa credit card customers. T&Cs apply

Eligibility

be a permanent UK resident
be 21 years or over
not have had any Individual Voluntary arrangements, County Court Judgements and must not have been declared bankrupt
not already hold a Barclaycard credit card
best suited to customers with an income of £20,000
additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

HSBC Balance Transfer Credit Card (30 Mths)

Representative APR (variable)

24.9%APR

Interest on balance transfers

0%for30months with a3.49%fee (£5 min.)

Interest on purchases

0%for3months

Representative example:

The standard interest rate on purchases is 24.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 24.9% (variable).

More Information

Additional information

0% on balance transfers made within 60 days of account opening for 30 months from the date of transfer
You might get different interest rates and promotional periods to those shown here, because these depend on your circumstances.

Eligibility

You must have an annual income/pension before tax of £6,800 or more
You must be a resident of the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
You must be over 18
The APR is dependent on your personal circumstances
No balance transfers from HSBC, First Direct, Marks and Spencer or John Lewis

HSBC Purchase Plus Credit Card

Representative APR (variable)

24.9%APR

Interest on balance transfers

0%for17months with a3.49%fee (£5 min.)

Interest on purchases

0%for20months

Representative example:

The standard interest rate on purchases is 24.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 24.9% (variable).

More Information

Additional information

3.49% fee applied on Balance Transfers (minimum £5) for balances transferred after the first 60 days
You might get different interest rates and promotional periods to those shown here, because these depend on your circumstances.

Eligibility

Have an annual income/pension before tax of £6,800 or more
Be a resident of the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
Be over 18, and not hold an HSBC Basic Bank Account
additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

Barclaycard Rewards - Excl

Representative APR (variable)

31.9%APR

Interest on balance transfers

31.9%p.a. variable

Interest on purchases

31.9%p.a. variable

Representative example:

The standard interest rate on purchases is 31.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 31.9% (variable).

Zopa Credit Card

Representative APR (variable)

34.9%APR

Interest on balance transfers

Interest on purchases

34.9%p.a. variable

Representative example:

The standard interest rate on purchases is 34.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 34.9% (variable).

More Information

Additional information

App only management: An Android or iOS device is required to activate and manage card
No annual fees
Up to two optional credit limit increases per year
Apply and get a response in 60 seconds

Eligibility

Be a permanent UK resident (with at least 1 year of address history)
Be 18 or older
Have had credit in the UK before
Have had no bankruptcies in the past year
Additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

Barclaycard Rewards Credit Card

Representative APR (variable)

28.9%APR

Interest on balance transfers

28.9%p.a. variable

Interest on purchases

28.9%p.a. variable

Representative example:

The standard interest rate on purchases is 28.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 28.9% (variable).

More Information

Additional information

0.25% cashback on all your spend
No fees on purchases abroad as long as you pay in the local currency then you won’t pay fees on non-sterling purchases
Register for Barclaycard Cashback Rewards and you can earn up to 15% cashback when you spend at a range of participating retailers. This is on top of the 0.25% cashback you’d get on everyday spend with the Barclaycard Rewards card. T&Cs apply.

Eligibility

be a permanent UK resident
be 21 years or over
not have had any Individual Voluntary arrangements, County Court Judgements and must not have been declared bankrupt
not already hold a Barclaycard credit card
best suited to customers with an income of £20,000
additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

Barclaycard Forward Credit Card

Representative APR (variable)

33.9%APR

Interest on balance transfers

33.9%p.a. variable

Interest on purchases

0%for3months

Representative example:

The standard interest rate on purchases is 33.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 33.9% (variable).

More Information

Additional information

Earn up to 15% cashback automatically when you spend at a range of participating retailers with Barclaycard Cashback Rewards. This is a new benefit, available to all Barclaycard Visa credit card customers. T&Cs apply.
Forward Card Price Promise – 3% cash and purchase interest rate reduction if you make all your payments on time for the first year. Keep it going in the second year and you’ll get another 2% reduction.

Eligibility

be a permanent UK resident
be 18 years or over
not have had any Individual Voluntary arrangements, County Court Judgements and must not have been declared bankrupt
not already hold a Barclaycard credit card
employed, with an income of more than £3,000 per annum
additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

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 Visa card?

A woman is holding a credit card and looking at her laptop

Visa is a payment system that is recognised all around the world. Card providers, including banks, can choose to issue their credit cards and debit cards using Visa’s payment system.

If you look at the bottom right-hand corner of a credit or debit card in the UK you will see the logo Visa, Mastercard or American Express.

Visa and Mastercard are two of the biggest payment systems and your credit or debit card is likely to be linked to one of them.

Visa has partnerships with a lot of big banks and financial service companies including Barclays and HSBC in the UK.

Number of Visa cards in circulation worldwide^[1]

2.1bn

Pros and cons of Visa credit cards

Pros

Accepted at almost all ATMs and the vast majority of shops online and in store

Visa has its own security protection - Verified by Visa - to make sure the real owner is who's using the card online

You can get perks like cashback and other rewards with some Visa credit cards

Cons

Credit cards can be an expensive way to borrow money if you fall behind on bills

To get the best Visa credit cards you'll need an excellent credit score

Missing or being late with payments could damage your credit score

How are Visa credit cards different from other cards?

For the owner, a Visa credit card or debit card works in almost exactly the same way as a Mastercard or American Express card.

You can use it to buy items in store, online, or via the contactless payment scheme or take money out of an ATM.

If it is a Visa credit card, then you will receive a monthly statement from your bank or financial services provider detailing all the purchases you have made in that month.

The only small difference is that, if used abroad, Visa sets its own exchange rates. These are generally very similar to those set by Mastercard or American Express, but not identical.

But there is a difference between Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards for shops.

The difference is the fee charged to the shop for you using the card there - known as the interchange fee.

Different card providers can charge different amounts to shops, which is why not all cards are accepted everywhere.

Charging a high fee means cards can offer better rewards, but shops are less likely to accept them.

You can see Visa's current interchange fees here.

What is the best Visa credit card in the UK I should get?

The best Visa credit card is the one that offers the benefits that are most suitable for your lifestyle.

For example, you might want a rewards credit card that gives you points, cashback or frequent flyer miles.

Or you might want to find a Visa credit card that offers the best deal on balance transfers, or the lowest interest rate.

You can use our comparison tool below to find the best Visa credit card for you.

How to apply for a Visa credit card

You can use our comparison tool to find out which of the Visa credit cards on offer might be the best credit card for you. You can choose to list the cards by:

Popularity – how popular they are
Lowest APR – the cards with the lowest interest rates
Longest balance transfer period – how long you can have money owing on your credit card that you have moved from another card, before you have to start paying interest on it
Longest purchase period – how long you have once you've made a purchase before you have to pay interest on it.

Before you make a formal application you can use our credit card eligibility checker. This will reduce the chances of you being rejected for credit cards and potentially damaging your credit score.

Once you have used our eligibility checker, or if you're ready to apply for a Visa credit card, you will need to put in a few personal details and then wait to see if your application has been successful.

With most cards, you should get an initial response in a couple of minutes. If the Visa credit card issuer needs to talk to you in more detail, they might ring you.

If your application is successful, you should receive your new card in a few days, after the card issuer has made some background checks.

If you make a lot of applications for credit it can affect your credit rating, which is a score that banks and financial companies use to decide whether they will give you a credit card."

About Visa

Visa has provided credit and debit cards to banks and card issuers since 1958, pioneering the idea of electronic payment by card.

The company was founded in California, but has expanded to provide card payment services for many banks, merchants and issuers around the world.

Visa credit cards are now accepted in more than 100 million merchant locations across the globe and there are more than 1 million Visa ATMs worldwide.

Compare Visa credit cards

See our best Visa deals, pre-selected for you

Answer a few simple questions about yourself

We match you with the Visa cards you're most likely to get

Your credit score won't be affected by the search

Compare cards now

Visa credit card FAQs

How do I use a Visa credit card?

You use a Visa credit card just like any other credit card. You pay for goods and services and then will receive a monthly statement showing your transactions.

You will need to pay off some balance each month.

How to pay with a Visa credit card

If you are buying online, you will need to put in your card details and the security number on the back of your card.

Visa has introduced an extra level of security for online payments, called Visa Secure, which helps to prevent fraud.

If you are paying in person you will need to put in your PIN number, use contactless (if the amount is under £100) or sign for your purchase.

Why should I choose a Visa credit card?

Visa credit and debit cards are usually accepted at all electronic payment locations and ATMs, as are Mastercards, so you don’t need to worry about selecting a card based on how widely it will be accepted.

The ‘Visa Secure’ scheme helps to protect you from card fraud when using your Visa card to make online purchases. Visa, like Mastercard and other card providers, offers a guarantee to repay your money if you fall victim to card fraud.

Visa cards are protected by Chip and PIN and many recently issued cards have contactless payment for sums up to £100.

What's the difference between Visa and Mastercard?

Mastercard and Visa are rival payment systems - it's up to banks and other card providers to choose which one to use with their cards.

However, both are accepted around the world at most retailers online and in store.

It's possible some shops will accept one and not the other, but it's incredibly rare. Amazon threatened to stop accepting Visa in early 2022, but quickly backtracked on the decision.

From a user perspective, the only real difference is the exchange rate charged on foreign purchases. Traditionally, these have been very close to each other, but Mastercard has offered a very slightly better rate a little more often than Visa has.

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.

Credit card guides

Find out more about how credit cards work with our in-depth guides

Find more guides here

About the author

Lucinda O'Brien

Lucinda O'Brien has spent the past 10 years writing and editing content for regional and national titles. She applies her industry knowledge to ensure readers can make confident financial decisions.

Didn’t find what you were looking for?

Customer Reviews

Rated 4.7 out of 5

by 27,511 people

Fantastic experience

A Higa

Easy andcquick

rob charteris

EDF Get the best deal

JONAS Kitavicius

Select cookie preferences

Visa credit cards

Compare Visa credit cards