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Major UK credit card providers
Virgin Money Everyday Cashback (27.9%)
Virgin Money Everyday Cashback (24.9%)
MBNA Dual 0% Transfer and Purchase Credit Card
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- Balance transfers – 0% for up to 21 months on balance transfers made within the first 60 days of account opening ( 3.49% Transfer Fee), then 5% fee thereafter
- Purchases – 0% for up to 21 months on purchases made within the first 60 days of account opening
- Money transfers – 0% for up to 12 months on money transfers made within the first 60 days of account opening ( 4% Transfer Fee), then 5% fee thereafter
- You may be eligible to apply for this as a second credit card. Terms apply
- be a UK resident for at least 3 years
- be 18 or older
- hold a UK bank or building society account
- have a good credit history
- not have been declined for an MBNA credit card within the last 30 days
- cannot transfer between another MBNA account
Santander Everyday Long Term Balance Transfer Credit Card
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- 0% for 28 months, 3.9% balance transfer fee (minimum £5)
- 0% for 3 months on purchases
- Up to 56 days interest-free credit on purchases.
- Up to 3 additional cardholders (you will be responsible for the use of and payments on the additional cards).
- Get cashback, vouchers, prize draws and other offers personalised for you with Santander Boosts.
- Credit is subject to status, to UK residents aged 18 and over.
- be a permanent UK resident
- be 18 or older
- minimum income of £10,500
- have a good credit rating
- must not be an existing Santander balance transfer credit card customer
- additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply
Halifax Longest 0% Balance Transfer Credit Card
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- Pay 0% interest for up to 27 months on balances you transfer in the first 90 days ( 3.49% transfer fee)
- 0% on purchases made in the first 6 months of card opening
- You may be eligible to apply for this as a second credit card. Terms apply
- be a permanent UK resident
- be 18 or older
- have a good credit rating
- not been declined a Halifax Bank credit card within the last 30 days
- can't transfer from another Halifax account
- additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply
Lloyds 0% Purchase and Balance Transfer Card
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- Up to 18 months 0% on balance transfers ( 2.99% fee) made within 90 days of account opening 5% fee thereafter.
- 0% on purchases made in the first 20 months from account opening.
- be a permanent UK resident
- be 18 or older
- have a good credit rating
- not been declined a Lloyds Bank credit card within the last 30 days
- can't transfer from another Lloyds Bank account
- additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply
Barclaycard Platinum Balance Transfer (21/21)
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- 21 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
- 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
Santander All in One Credit Card
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- 0% for 15 months on balance transfers, with no balance transfer fee.
- 0% for 15 months on purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees.
- 0.5% cashback (up to £10 a month) on all your purchases.
- £3 monthly fee
- be a permanent UK resident
- be 18 or older
- minimum income of £10,500
- have a good credit rating
- must not be an existing Santander balance transfer credit card customer
- additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply
What are major credit cards?
Major credit cards are the most popular credit cards that are accepted around the world.
The cards are provided by either Visa, Mastercard or American Express, which are UK's biggest payment services providers.
The credit is issued by a mixture of big banks, high-street retailers and credit providers, giving these major cards recognisable names.
The biggest UK credit card providers include Barclaycard, Lloyds Bank, HSBC, MBNA, Santander, Nationwide and Sainsbury's Bank.
Why are they popular?
Credit cards build up popularity through a combination of loyalty and great offers.
Major credit card providers are able to offer a wide range of benefits - often topping best-buy tables because they offer the best benefit for each category.
They may have the longest balance transfer period, or the longest 0% period for purchases.
People also frequently show loyalty to their existing providers - so people with HSBC bank accounts take out HSBC credit cards, people with Barclays bank accounts take out a Barclaycard and so on.
This can work out well, because your bank account provider will be able to offer you a tailored deal thanks to their familiarity with your finances.
What are the benefits of a major credit card?
There are no specific benefits beyond having a recognisable name on your card and a large reputable company to deal with.
Having Visa or Mastercard provision is almost a guarantee that you will be able to use your card with any merchant that accepts major credit cards, wherever you are in the world.
It’s more important to look at the benefits of a specific card.
You could take comfort knowing you are dealing with a big recognised company, that is compliant with all consumer rules and regulations, both on an international and UK specific level.
Big providers have established customer service teams to help when things go wrong."
What types of major credit card are there?
Major credit cards tend to be balance transfer, 0% purchase credit cards and ‘bad-credit’ credit cards, reflecting their popularity. This is due to the useful benefits they offer.
Balance transfer cards can be used to clear existing credit card debts and the majority of the leading ones don’t charge any interest for at least a year, provided you meet the minimum monthly repayments.
0% purchase credit cards offer free short term credit, typically offering no interest on card purchases for at least one year, but some offer this benefit for longer. Provided you can pay back your balance before the 0% interest period expires you could effectively borrow for free.
Bad-credit credit cards offer a way for those who have a poor credit history to borrow and improve their credit score. If you are applying for one of these remember to use it responsibility to avoid sliding into further debt.
If these types of credit cards don’t suit your needs, there are many other major credit card types – from low APR cards (one of the more sensible choices for sustained borrowing) to reward cards, that give you cash or loyalty points (such as frequent flyer miles) back as you spend.
Major credit cards FAQs
Should I get a major credit card?
While major credit cards often offer the most competitive benefits, you should always closely examine any credit card beyond the headline offers and think about what you need from a card.
Shop around thoroughly as it’s possible that less well known credit card companies might offer the best benefits for your personal financial situation.
What you need to apply for a credit card
In terms of what you will need to provide, it's generally quite 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 is APR?
APR stands for "annual percentage rate" - it's the interest rate charged on money borrowed on your credit card.
It reflects the costs you'll pay over the course of a year and includes any standard fees associated with the card.
In most cases, you can avoid paying interest by paying off your credit card balance in full by the due date of every billing cycle.
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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