What you should look for in a credit card

The world of credit cards has become increasingly competitive over recent years, and many people rely on their credit cards for anything from day to day spending to emergencies or one off, larger purchases.

There are many different credit cards on the market these days, with cards to suit all needs and circumstances. However, no matter what sort of card you are looking for there are certain things that you need to look at and compare in order to ensure that you get the right card for your needs and to suit your pocket.

The different areas that you need to compare and look at with credit cards will depend on the type of credit card that you opt for, as different credit cards will have different benefits and areas that will affect how suitable they are for your needs. Therefore you should make sure that you compare the relevant areas based on the type of card that you opt for.

This can be done with ease, convenience, and speed online, saving you time and hassle and enabling you to find a suitable card from the comfort and privacy of your own home. You can also make your application online once you have found a suitable card, and often you will receive an instant decision on your application.

0% cards

If you are looking to take out a 0% balance transfer credit card or a 0% purchase credit card you should make sure that you compare some important areas in order to find the one that offers the best value and is best suited to your needs. For 0% balance transfer or purchase cards you need to compare the different interest free periods, as the length of interest free credit offered can vary from provider to provider.

Obviously, the longer the 0% balance transfer or purchase period the more time you will have to repay your debt before being charged interest. Of course, the point of these cards is that you repay the balance in full before the interest free period expires so that you avoid paying any interest. However, do take into account the standard variable interest rate just in case.

However, your main priority should be the length of interest free credit available, as you can always transfer any remaining balance onto another balance transfer card if you have not repaid it by the time the 0% period expires.

Low rate balance transfer cards

If you are looking to transfer your high interest credit card balances onto a low rate balance transfer card you need to compare the interest rates offered by the different card providers. With these cards you can enjoy a low rate of interest for the life of the transferred balance, but the interest rates can vary from one provider to another.

You should aim for get the lowest balance transfer interest rate, as the deal is for the life of the transferred balance and therefore you won’t have to compare the length of the deal.

Rewards based credit cards

If you are looking to take out a rewards based credit card then you should be the type of person that repays the balance in full each month, as this is the only way that you can really benefit from these cards. Therefore the interest rate should not be your main priority with these cards.

Instead, you should be looking at the level of rewards offered per pounds spent, what sort of rewards are on offer, and whether there are any bulk rewards or other benefits available when you open your account.

If you tend to spread your repayments you will be charged interest on your debt, and this will counteract any benefit from the rewards that you earn, which is why these cards are not suited to those that do not settle up in full each month.

Charity credit cards

As with rewards based cards these cards are only really suited to those that settle their balance in full each month, otherwise you will be charged interest on your balance and this will counteract the benefits – you might as well make the donation directly to charity yourself and get a 0% purchase card in this case.

However, if you do settle your balance in full each month these cards can prove an effective and simple way to donate to charity. You should look at how much is donated to charity per pounds spent, as this can vary from provider to provider, and also whether any bulk donation is made when the account is first opened.

Bad credit credit cards

Unfortunately most bad credit credit cards do not offer any benefits as such, as they are designed to help consumers rebuild their credit. The one thing that you should look out for with these cards is the rate of interest charged, as this can vary from one provider to another.

Although the rate of interest on bad credit credit cards is typically higher than on standard cards, it can still vary and it is therefore advisable to compare rates and find the lowest rate possible.

However, wherever possible you should just use these cards to provide ease, convenience, and improve your credit through timely and responsible repayments, and you should try and settle your balance in full each month to avoid having to pay the high rates of interest.

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