In this guide

  • Our verdict
  • Details
    • Product Overview
    • Fees and charges
    • Application Requirements

118 118 Money Credit Card review 2024

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118 118 Money Guaranteed Rate Card
3.5
★★★★★
Finder score
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 34% APR (variable).
Representative example:
When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 34% APR (variable).
Minimum credit limit
£500
Interest-free each billing period
Up to 51 days
Balance transfer fee
0%

Our verdict

Looking for a card with no nasty surprises? 118 118 Money's Mastercard charges zero fees and gives you a guaranteed credit limit.

For most people, credit card rates and fees are an absolute minefield. Your average card issuer charges different interest rates for different types of transactions and dozens of different fees. 118 118 Money's answer is a card with one simple rate and no fees.

This means that as well as using your card to pay for purchases, you can use it to withdraw cash at cash machines or to transfer money to another account – basically a loan. Yes, some other cards let you do that, but they'll almost always charge a fee and also apply a different (higher) interest rate to those transactions. Not so 118 118 Money. Plus, provided you clear your balance in full at the end of the month, your purchases, withdrawals and transfers will be interest-free. If you tend to find yourself in overdraft towards the end of the month, or even if you use payday loans, then used correctly, this card could help you make big savings.

You can also use the card abroad without getting hit with non-sterling transactions, and once again, you'll pay your normal rate of interest. Being a Mastercard, the card will be accepted pretty much anywhere that takes card payments. Bear in mind that if you're on holiday abroad and a restaurant offers to bill you in sterling rather than in the local currency, for example, you should say no – otherwise it'll be the merchant's bank's currency conversion fee structure that'll apply, and not 118 118 Money's.

Despite an APR that's a little on the high side, if you can manage to pay off your balance each month, you could end up never paying any interest or fees.

So what's the catch? Well, there isn't really a catch as such. Just that, like any credit card, you can fall into a trap of long-term debt if you only make the minimum required payment each month. You've also got to get approved for the card in the first place, obviously, but the good news is the card is designed with people who don't have excellent credit ratings in mind. Finally, keep in mind that you may still be charged fees by third parties – like ATM fees from a cash machine provider (thankfully these are getting rarer).

Pros

  • Applicants with low credit scores may be eligible
  • Avoid currency conversion charges when spending abroad
  • No annual fee

Cons

  • Minimum annual income requirement of £8,400

In this guide

  • Our verdict
  • Details
    • Product Overview
    • Fees and charges
    • Application Requirements

Best known for the moustachioed chaps in short shorts at the centre of relentless TV advertising campaigns, 118 118 Money is now a fully-fledged financial services provider. It's started to make a name for itself serving the non-standard (bad credit) market with personal loans and now this fee-free credit card.

Details

Product Overview

Issuer 118 118 Money
Network Mastercard
Annual/monthly fees £0
Balance transfers 34%
Balance transfer fee 0%
Purchases 34%
Purchases interest-free period Up to 51 days
Money transfers 34%
Cash advances 34%
Minimum credit limit £500
Maximum credit limit Subject to status
Additional cards available 3
Incentive
Potential costs 3.5 ★★★★★
Doing its job 4.0 ★★★★★
Extras 4.0 ★★★★★
Overall Finder score 3.5 ★★★★★

Fees and charges

Minimum monthly payment 5% or £10 (whichever is greater) or the total of any interest, default fees and charges plus 3.5% of the outstanding balance plus any arrears.
Annual/monthly fees £0
Balance transfer fee 0%
Money transfer fee 0%
Foreign usage charge (EU) 0%
Foreign usage charge (rest of world) 0%
Cash advance fee 5% (min. £0)
Late payment fee £12
Replacement card fee £0
Duplicate statement fee £0
Exceeding limit fee £0
Additional card fee £0
Dormancy fee £0

Application Requirements

Minimum Age 18
Minimum income £8,400
Availability Available to new customers

The 118 118 Money Guaranteed Rate Card is issued on the Mastercard network so it's accepted at more than 50 million merchant locations across more than 210 countries and territories.

How does it compare?

118 118 Money's card

1 - 1 of 1
Name Product Rating Finder score Annual/monthly fees Initial credit limits Minimum income Representative APR Incentive Link
118 118 Money Guaranteed Rate Card
Finder score
★★★★★
★★★★★
Expert analysis
£0
Min. limit £500, max. limit not specified.
£8400
34%
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 34% APR (variable).
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Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow.

“Credit builder” cards are designed as a stepping stone to cards with better rates. With no fees, the 118 118 Money card could suit those with a less-than-perfect credit history looking to rebuild their credit score.

Repayment options

You can make manual repayments through 118 118 Money's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone. Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.

A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and damaging your credit score – making it harder and more expensive to borrow money in the future – and getting hit with a penalty fee (£12) as a result.

You can arrange a direct debit for repayments when you apply for the credit card. The table below shows the options available.

Choose from the following direct debit options for your monthly repayments:

Minimum amount Fixed amount Fixed percentage Full amount

Bottom line

Is the 118 118 Credit Card any good?

118 118 Money scrapped this card’s predecessor back in 2019, presumably because (and there’s no nice way of putting this) it was awful. Thankfully, the card issuer’s latest effort is much, much better. In fact it’s a great card… just with a high interest rate. Pay off your balance in full each month and you’ll enjoy all its good bits without it costing you a penny.

How to apply

It's quick and easy to apply at 118 118 Money site. Firstly you'll be prompted to check your eligibility – this is a smart way to find out if it's worth applying without affecting your credit score. If you get the green light and decide to apply, 118 118 Money will then run a credit check which has a small (and usually short-lived) negative effect on your credit score – this is standard stuff.

At this point the vast majority of credit cards will offer you a personalised interest rate and a personalised credit limit. But the 118 card is all about simplicity and transparency: you either don't get approved, or you get approved and offered a rate of 34% and a limit of £500.

Once your application has been approved, your PIN and card arrive separately in the post within 9-10 days. The first time you use your card at a merchant you'll need to enter your PIN, and from then on you can go contactless for transactions of up to £45.

Frequently asked questions

What will my credit limit be on the 118 118 Money credit card?

The guaranteed minimum credit limit on the 118 118 Money card is £500. Provided you use the card responsibly (stay within your limit and make all payments on time) this could increase over time. 118 118 Money doesn't specify a maximum credit limit.

What is a "credit builder" card?

A credit builder credit card is aimed at customers with limited or poor credit histories, but who are looking to improve their credit score in order to be eligible for other financial products. By showing the provider that you can responsibly handle a credit card account, you'll make yourself more likely to be approved for other credit products in future.

What is my interest-free period on the 118 118 Money credit card?

Your interest-free period is the amount of time you have to pay off your purchases and cash advances before you are charged interest. With the 118 118 Money card, you'll have up to 51 days interest-free on pretty much any transaction. This means that if you make a purchase on the first day of the billing period, it'll be included in your bill at the end of the billing period, which you'll have around three weeks to pay – giving you a maximum of 51 days of 0% interest credit. It doesn't mean that every transaction will get 51 days interest-free – transactions towards the end of the billing period will get fewer interest-free days.

How does "guaranteed zero fees" on the 118 118 Money credit card work?

118 118 Money promises to not charge any fees based on how you use your card. This includes cash withdrawals, foreign transactions, balance transfers, late payments and overlimits (going over your agreed credit limit). However, you may still be charged third party fees, such as ATM usage fees, and will naturally need to pay interest on any purchases or transactions you make that you don't pay off before your payment due date.

So can I make all the late repayments I like with the 118 118 Money card?

No. A small fee is just one of the consequences of being late with a credit card repayment. Firstly, a late repayment basically means you're borrowing for longer, so 118 118 Money will charge you additional interest. Secondly, any late repayments will be reported back to credit reference agencies, so the next time you apply to borrow money (perhaps car finance, a personal loan, a mortgage etc.) you'll be very likely to be offered a higher rate because of your tarnished track record.

Does the 118 118 Money card have a monthly account fee?

No. 118 118 Money relaunched its credit card in 2019, ditching the monthly account fee for new customers.

Finder credit card scores

★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor

Our experts score credit builder credit cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like interest rates, credit limits, features to help you track your credit, plus the potential costs involved with running the card both in the short and longer term.

You can read more about our scoring criteria on our credit card methodology page.

We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you.
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