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Compare credit cards

Smart credit card choices made easy

Compare offers without impacting your credit score

Get approved for a credit card quickly

  • Add your details to our eligibility checker

  • Explore your options from top credit card providers

  • Choose the right card for your needs

September 2024's savings

Save up to £854.98* in interest with a 0% balance transfer card

Get approved for a credit card quickly

  • Add your details to our eligibility checker

  • Explore your options from top credit card providers

  • Choose the right card for your needs

Credit cards - Hub

907,742 customers have visited Uswitch to explore credit cards this year

20,291 people used our eligibility checker in September 2024

*£854.98 is a representative example of the interest a customer would save in the first 12 months. Example based on a £3,900 balance transferred from a card with 29.9% APR to a 0% card for 29 months, then 24.9% (variable), with a fixed monthly payment of £195. Representative APR 24.9%. See more here: Uswitch savings

Finding the best credit cards from trusted providers

Our experts browse hundreds of products to find the best deals

Virgin Money
Santander
Barclaycard
Tesco
Lloyds Bank
Capital One
American Express
Nectar
British Airways
Halifax
Virgin Money
Santander
Barclaycard
Tesco
Lloyds Bank
Capital One
American Express
Nectar
British Airways
Halifax

Discover credit card offers just for you

Here are some of our best credit cards with 0% interest on balance transfers - we've chosen these cards based on the longest balance transfer period.

Card
Barclaycard Platinum Balance Transfer (29 Mths)
Interest on balance transfers
0% for 29 months with a 3.45% fee
Representative APR (variable)
24.9% APR
Interest on purchases
0% for 3 months

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).

Card
HSBC Balance Transfer Credit Card (29 Mths)
Interest on balance transfers
0% for 29 months with a 3.49% fee (£5 min.)
Representative APR (variable)
24.9% APR
Interest on purchases
0% for 3 months

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).

Card
Tesco Balance Transfer Credit Card
Interest on balance transfers
0% for 27 months with a 2.95% fee
Representative APR (variable)
24.9% APR
Interest on purchases
24.942% p.a. variable

The standard interest rate on purchases is 24.94% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 24.9% (variable).

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.

Last updated
September 17th, 2024
Woman sitting on a sofa looking at a phone and credit card.

What is a credit card?

Credit cards are a flexible way of borrowing money to pay for goods or services. The credit card provider sets a limit on how much you can spend on the card, as well as the interest you’ll be charged on your borrowing, based on your financial circumstances.

How do they work?

Every month you’re billed for the debt you’ve accumulated on your credit cards, which is known as the balance. You have a few options on how much you pay back. There's a minimum monthly amount you need to pay back to avoid penalties, usually that’s a fixed amount or a percentage of your balance. The remaining balance will be rolled over to next month’s billing cycle and you’ll be charged interest based on the APR that you were offered when your application was approved. You can pay any amount over the minimum back too - which reduces the amount of money you'll be charged interest on. If you pay off the full balance, you won't be charged any interest. You generally get up to 56 days between buying something and interest being charged, which means if you pay off your balance in full each month, they're effectively free to use.

Our expert says

Before applying for a credit card, understand your financial habits, compare terms, fees, and rewards. Choose wisely to build credit responsibly and maximise benefits.

Types of credit cards

Balance transfer credit cards

Balance transfer credit cards allow you to transfer debt from one credit card provider to another and pay no interest on that debt for a set period. Some of the leading deals give you 0% interest for as long as two years or even more.

Compare balance transfer cards

0% purchase credit cards

With a 0% purchase credit card, no interest is charged on debt built up through new purchases you make on the card for a set period. But you still have to at least pay back the minimum amount requested each month.

Compare 0% purchase credit cards

Money transfer credit cards

Money transfer credit cards allow you to transfer cash into your current account. This means you can pay off any kind of debt or spend as you see fit. Money transfer cards are typically used to pay off expensive overdrafts or as a cheap loan.

Compare money transfer cards

Cashback and reward credit cards

Some credit cards give you rewards or cashback on purchases. They usually have higher interest rates and often charge annual fees, but you can benefit from perks like airmiles and shopping cashback.

Compare cashback and reward cards

Travel credit cards

Travel credit cards let you make purchases overseas without having to pay the foreign transaction fees charged by standard credit and debit cards. Instead, this type of card uses the payment issuer's exchange rate to work out the price in pounds.

Compare travel credit cards

Credit building credit cards

If you have a poor credit score, you might still be able to get a credit building or bad credit credit card. These credit cards are aimed at those with a less than perfect credit history and can help customers improve their credit score.

Compare credit building credit cards

Unlock the best credit card deals for you

See which credit cards you're eligible for in just a few clicks

How section 75 protects your credit card spending

There's an additional benefit to spending on a credit card rather than a debit card or with cash too. Thanks to Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, if you're buying something costing over £100 and up to £30,000 using a credit card to pay for any part of it, the card provider is held jointly liable if things go wrong. That means you can apply to them for a refund (for the full purchase amount) if the seller lets you down - especially useful for things like holidays and purchases abroad, where you might not have the same rights to refunds as you have in the UK.

How to apply for a credit card

You must be at least 18 years old and a UK resident to apply for a credit card. Acceptance depends on your financial situation. After choosing your card, here’s how the application process works:

Research and compare cards
Look for cards that match your needs and compare features like interest rates, fees and rewards.
Complete the application
Fill out the application with your personal information - this will include income and employment details.
Submit and await decision
Submit your application and wait for approval, which can take from a few minutes to a few weeks.
Activate your card
Once approved, you should receive your card and it'll be ready for activation. Remember to use it responsibly.

Pros and cons

Pros

Flexibility to spread the cost of purchases over time
Earn rewards such as points, cash back or airline miles
Help to build credit when used wisely
Extra protection on purchases for when things go wrong

Cons

Can be easy to accumulate high interest debt
Accrue interest when not paid in full
Annual fees, late fees, and others may apply
Available credit can give temptation to overspend

FAQs

What you need to apply for a credit card

In terms of what you will need to provide, it's generally 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's the difference between a credit card and a debit card?

While physically they might look and operate the same way, the difference is in the source of funds the card is using. A credit card allows users to borrow money up to a predetermined limit, which you pay back with interest if not paid in full every month. Debit cards, on the other hand, are linked to your account and directly deduct funds for purchases, requiring sufficient balance without incurring interest.

How do you cancel a credit card?

To cancel a credit card you no longer wish to have, you’ll first have to make sure you pay off any remaining balance on the card. Once you've done that you can contact your credit card provider and ask them to cancel the card. Once the card has been cancelled, check your credit report to make sure it’s been reflected on your credit record. This won’t happen right away, so wait a few weeks after you cancel the card to check your credit report. 

Cancelling a credit card can impact your credit score as it’ll affect your credit utilisation, which is the percentage of overall borrowing against your total available credit. A high credit utilisation ratio can lead lenders to think your finances are a bit tight.

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.
How many credit cards can you have?
How many credit cards can you have?
How to use a credit card
How to use a credit card
What are the differences between credit and debit card?
What are the differences between credit and debit card?

About the author

Salman Haqqi - Senior Personal Finance Expert
Salman Haqqi has over a decade of experience as a journalist in several countries around the world. In recent years, he has turned his focus to helping people make confident financial decisions and regularly comments in the media about personal finance.

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