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0% purchase credit cards

Spread the cost of purchases interest-free

If you've got a big purchase coming up, a 0% purchase card can help you spread the cost interest free

Find a 0% purchase card

Answer a few quick questions to see which of our best 0% purchase cards are available to you
Uswitch.com is rated Excellent | by 22,790 people
Last updated
February 1st, 2024
33 results found, sorted by longest purchase period.

Barclaycard Platinum Balance Transfer (20/21)

Interest on purchases
0%for21months
Account fee
£0
Interest on balance transfers
0%for20months with a3.45%fee
Representative APR (variable)
24.9%APR
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
  • 20 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

M&S Bank Purchase Plus Credit Card -Excl

Interest on purchases
0%for20months
Account fee
£0
Interest on balance transfers
0%for12months with a3.49%fee (£5 min.)
Representative APR (variable)
24.9%APR
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 for 12 months, available for 90 days from account opening (3.49% fee applies, minimum £5)
  • 0% on shopping for 20 months
Eligibility
  • have a good credit rating
  • be 18 or older
  • be a permanent UK resident
  • have an annual income/pension of at least £6,800
  • additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

Santander All in One Credit Card

Interest on purchases
0%for15months
Account fee
£3a month
Interest on balance transfers
0%for15months with no fee
Representative APR (variable)
29.8%APR
Representative example:
The standard interest rate on purchases is 23.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 29.8% (variable). £3 monthly fee.
More Information
Additional information
  • 0.5% cashback (up to £10 a month) on all your purchases.
  • £3 monthly fee
  • 0% for 15 months on balance transfers
  • 0% for 15 months on purchases
Eligibility
  • 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

Virgin Money All Round Credit Card (16m) (24.9%)

Interest on purchases
0%for13months
Account fee
£0
Interest on balance transfers
0%for16months with a3%fee
Representative APR (variable)
24.9%APR
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
  • Virgin Money Cashback offers cardholders the ability to earn cashback on their credit card spend at participating retailers when they are enrolled in the programme via the mobile app'.
  • 16 months 0% for balance transfers, 12 months 0% for money transfers and 13 months 0% for purchases
  • 3% balance transfer fee
  • 4% money transfer fee
  • Contactless payments on purchases up to £100.
Eligibility
  • be 18 or older
  • be a UK resident
  • have a good credit history
  • no balance transfers from Clydesdale Bank PLC
  • additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

Virgin Money All Round Card (12 M) (29.9%) (Credit Builder)

Interest on purchases
0%for12months
Account fee
£0
Interest on balance transfers
0%for12months with a3%fee
Representative APR (variable)
29.9%APR
Representative example:
The standard interest rate on purchases is 29.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 29.9% (variable).
More Information
Additional information
  • Virgin Money Cashback offers cardholders the ability to earn cashback on their credit card spend at participating retailers when they are enrolled in the programme via the mobile app'.
  • 12 months 0% on balance transfers ( 3% transfer fee)
  • 12 months 0% on money transfers (4% transfer fee)
  • 12 months 0% on purchases
Eligibility
  • be 18 or older
  • be a UK resident
  • have a UK bank or building society account
  • have a good credit history
  • have an annual income of £7,000, or household income of at least £15,000
  • additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

Virgin Money All Round Credit Card (14m) (27.9%)

Interest on purchases
0%for12months
Account fee
£0
Interest on balance transfers
0%for14months with a3%fee
Representative APR (variable)
27.9%APR
Representative example:
The standard interest rate on purchases is 27.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 27.9% (variable).
More Information
Additional information
  • Virgin Money Cashback offers cardholders the ability to earn cashback on their credit card spend at participating retailers when they are enrolled in the programme via the mobile app'.
  • 14 months 0% for balance transfers, 12 months 0% for money transfers and 12 months 0% for purchases
  • 3% balance transfer fee
  • 4% money transfer fee
  • Contactless payments on purchases up to £100.
Eligibility
  • be 18 or older
  • be a UK resident
  • have good credit history
  • no balance transfers from Clydesdale Bank PLC
  • additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply

Virgin Money All Round Credit Card (12m) (29.9%)

Interest on purchases
0%for12months
Account fee
£0
Interest on balance transfers
0%for12months with a2.9%fee
Representative APR (variable)
29.9%APR
Representative example:
The standard interest rate on purchases is 29.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 29.9% (variable).
More Information
Additional information
  • Virgin Money Cashback offers cardholders the ability to earn cashback on their credit card spend at participating retailers when they are enrolled in the programme via the mobile app'.
  • 12 months 0% for balance transfers, 12 months 0% for money transfers and 12 months 0% for purchases
  • 2.9% balance transfer fee
  • 4% money transfer fee
  • Contactless payments on purchases up to £100.
Eligibility
  • be 18 or older
  • be a UK resident
  • have a UK bank or building society account
  • have a good credit history
  • have an annual income of £7,000, or household income of at least £15,000
  • additional criteria for acceptance from the lender may apply
Which? Recommended Credit Cards Provider in 2022

Virgin Money Travel Credit Card (24.9%)

Interest on purchases
0%for9months
Account fee
£0
Interest on balance transfers
0%for9months with a2%fee
Representative APR (variable)
24.9%APR
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
  • Virgin Money Cashback offers cardholders the ability to earn cashback on their credit card spend at participating retailers when they are enrolled in the programme via the mobile app'.
  • 9 months 0% on purchases
  • 9 months 0% balance transfer ( 2% transfer fee)
  • 9 months on money transfers ( 4% transfer fee)
  • Accepted worldwide in all Mastercard locations
Eligibility
  • be 18 or older
  • be a UK resident
  • have a good credit history
  • no balance transfers from Clydesdale Bank PLC
  • 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 0% purchase credit card?

A woman is at her laptop looking at the latest credit card deals

Interest free, or 0%, purchase credit cards let you essentially borrow for free in the short term. That's because they don't charge interest on spending during the introductory period.

They can be a great way to spread the cost of expensive items like sofas, TVs, bikes and holidays over months or potentially years.

These cards are only interest free for a fixed period of time. You'll still need to meet your minimum monthly repayments to keep the 0% interest offer in place.

Depending on the interest free period, you may pay no interest on your big purchase at all, provided you repay the full amount owing before the interest-free period expires.

% of card balances that are interest free in Oct '23[1]
48.8%

Is a 0% purchase credit card right for you?

You should only consider getting a purchase credit card if you know you can clear the debt before the 0% interest deal ends. If you feel you'll be unable to pay off the debt within the introductory period, you'll need a card that's more suitable for sustained borrowing. You might want to consider getting a low APR credit card.

0% interest does not apply to cash withdrawals

The 0% interest free period only applies to purchases you make with the card. You'll be charged a higher rate and additional fees for cash withdrawals.

You might lose the 0% offer

You will need to meet all your minimum monthly repayments, or you might lose the 0% interest offer. And you must not go over the credit card limit set by the credit card provider.

The 0% interest free period will not last forever

When the 0% on purchases introductory period ends, the interest will rise to a more expensive standard rate.

How to use a 0% purchase credit card

A credit card is being used to pay contactless in a cafe

When used responsibly, 0% interest credit cards can effectively be used for interest free borrowing. For example you could make a large purchase, or several small purchases that rack up a balance of £3,000. Let's say you get a 0% purchase card that offers you 24 months of 0% interest. Divide the balance on the card (£3,000) by the number of months remaining on the 0% period (24) to get the monthly payment you need to make to pay of the entire balance before the interest free period ends.

In this case that's £125, so you can set up a direct debit paying this amount each month to pay off the debt before the 0% deal ends. This way you won't have paid a single penny in interest.

One thing to keep in mind is that you should make sure not to make any additional purchase with this credit, or you'll keep adding to the balance.

Pros and cons

Pros

Spread the cost of purchases
Pay not interest on your spending within in the 0% period
Some cards may offer discounts or other benefits

Cons

The interest rate will shoot up after the 0% period ends
Can tempt you into spending more than you can afford
The longest 0% periods usually require a high credit score

Comparing credit cards to find the best interest free offer for you

Many cards offer more than just 0% on purchases. What makes the best purchase credit card for you will depend on your needs.

  • Longest 0% purchase period

  • Lowest APR

  • 0% on both purchases and balance transfers

  • 0% credit cards with rewards

Average 0% interest free periods on UK credit cards
How many months of 0% interest different types of credit cards are offering on average.

Source: Defaqto and Uswitch data, correct as of December 19, 2022

FAQs

How long do you need to pay off your credit card?

The longer the 0% purchase period, the longer you have to pay back your balance without being charged any interest. So look for a card with the longest 0% period.

What does lowest APR mean?

The annual percentage rate (APR) shows you what the credit card will cost you once your 0% introductory period ends. A higher APR means higher repayments.

Depending on your financial situation, the credit card provider might not give you the APR you see advertised. Credit card providers only have to give the typical APR they advertise to around 50% of successful applicants.

What are 'All in one' credit cards?

You can avoid interest on both your spending and existing credit card debts, with an 'all in one' or 'all round' credit cards. They work by offering a 0% introductory period on both balance transfers and purchases.

But they can become expensive if you're unable to pay off what you owe once the 0% introductory period ends.

0% credit cards with rewards

Some 0% purchase credit cards will offer you the chance to earn rewards on your spending. This includes things like loyalty card points, vouchers and air miles.

Find out more about reward credit cards.

Learn more from our Credit Card Guides

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.

Explore related guides

Find out omre about credit cards and credit scores with our in-depth guides
What is a credit card?
What is a credit card?
How to improve your credit rating and credit score
How to improve your credit rating and credit score
How to dispute your credit report
How to dispute your credit report

About the author

Salman Haqqi
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.

Customer Reviews

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References