Barclaycard Forward Credit Card review 2023

Previously known as the Initial Card, the Forward card is credit card giant Barclaycard's "credit-building" option. In other words it's aimed at those who want to build or improve their credit history. In reality, all credit cards (if used responsibly) help you improve your credit, but "credit builders" are typically easier to get approved for and might come with features to support you on your journey to better credit. Barclaycard won't be expecting applicants with perfect credit and says that you can apply if you haven't been declared bankrupt in the past six years and don’t have more than one county court judgement (CCJ).

As with most credit-builder credit cards, there's no monthly/annual account fee to worry about, but the interest rate is relatively high, at 33.9%. You can expect a relatively small opening credit limit (limits are tailored to the applicant, and start from £50). You'll need to stay within this limit if you want to improve your credit score.

The big perk with this card is the introductory 3-month 0% interest period – so if you're about to shell-out for something expensive, it's not a bad way to spread the cost. If you're making use of this 0% intro period, just be aware of the fairly punishing standard interest rate that will kick in and apply to any outstanding balance once the introductory period expires.

A unique aspect of this particular card is a feature called "Price promise" – something you don’t see too often in the credit-building market. Price promise could allow you a 3% interest rate reduction if you make all your repayments on time in the first year. And if you keep on top of your repayments in the second year, you could receive a further 2% reduction.

Barclaycards now come with a few extra perks too, such as Barclaycard Entertainment (savings on tickets across more than 3,500 gigs, comedy nights and family days out each year) and Barclaycard Cashback Rewards (at an ever-changing range of participating retailers). Try not to let these perks lure you into spending money you otherwise wouldn't have though. If you don't pay off your balance in full each month, then you'll incur interest which will outweigh the perks.

Barclaycard also cheekily bills this as 'the perfect travel companion', but – spoiler alert – it's not. There's a 2.99% fee on non-sterling transactions.

Ultimately, if you're in the market for your first credit card or looking to rebuild your credit score, the Forward card is a great choice, as long as you use it responsibly. If you do opt for the Forward card, stick to your credit limit, set up a direct debit to clear your full balance every month, and don't use the card to withdraw cash.

As is now standard, you can check your eligibility for the Forward card before applying, without hurting your credit score. And using Finder's eligibility checking service, you can check your eligibility for a whole range of cards from different banks in one go.