Insurance and Finance > Credit Cards

Credit cards can be a useful financial tool to have available to you, providing you with very flexible short-term financing as well as a convenient method of payment, saving you from having to carry cash around with you. The popularity of credit cards continues to rise, and the vast majority of shops and online stores now accept all the major credit card types and so there is little need to worry if your card will be accepted for payment.

There are a number of credit card issuers in the UK giving you plenty of choice, and the competition among these companies is a good thing for customers as it leads to lower interest rate charges and special offers. Our featured provider below is recommended by us, so please pay them a visit to get the full details of their offer.

Many card companies offer special introductory rates and some even provide a zero percent rate for balance transfers (where a customer switches from an existing card, bringing with them an outstanding balance) as an incentive to attract customers. These offers can be beneficial if you do have unpaid amounts on your existing card, as they will reduce the amount of interest that you will pay, however you should check that the rate remains competitive after the introductory period has expired.

While credit cards can be useful for short-term financing and providing a degree of financial flexibility, you should be mindful when using them that they are far from ideal for longer-term financing due to their relatively high rates of interest. If you pay off your credit card balance each month then you will likely face no charges at all, and in general you should not spend on your card more than you could afford to pay off within three months.

If you have found the balance on your credit card mounting up to a level that you cannot clear, and are facing large interest charges then you may want to consider a debt consolidation loan. This type of loan is designed for clearing outstanding, high interest debts, leaving you with a lower rate loan to repay which is more manageable.

If you do have a credit card debt that you would like to consolidate, then our recommended lender in the loan spotlight to the left will be able to help you.

With the rise in popularity of shopping online, the protections offered to the consumer by credit cards are becoming more of a benefit. Due to the legislation related to consumer credit, the cardholder is covered in many cases should the goods not be delivered, are faulty and no refund or adequate repair is offered and in many cases of fraudulent use. All of this, combined with the convenience they offer makes credit cards a very popular financial product.