Digital banking company Cashplus offers a solid credit builder credit card to people whose credit score makes it difficult to be accepted for other kinds of credit – whether they have bad credit or because it’s the first time they’re borrowing money. For now, it’s an invitation-only credit card and you can only apply if you receive a letter or an email from Cashplus.
Finder rating: ★★★★★
£50
Minimum credit limit
Up to 56 days
Interest-free each billing period
39.9%
Representative APR
£0
Account fee
| Issuer | APS Financial Ltd |
|---|---|
| Network | Mastercard |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Min credit limit | £50 |
| Max credit limit | Subject to status: £3,000 |
| Credit limit note | Linked to primary cardholder limit |
| Purchases | 39.94% |
| Purchases interest-free period (days) | 56 |
| Additional cards available | 4 |
Review by
Chris Lilly is a publisher at finder.com. He's a specialist in credit-based products including business and personal loans, mortgages and credit cards, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their borrowing. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more.
As with most credit builder cards, the Cashplus Credit Card’s 39.9% rate on purchases means you absolutely want to use this card responsibly and avoid carrying a balance from month to month. However, provided you do pay your bill in full and on time, you’ll get a decent level of flexibility – up to 56 days of 0% interest on your purchases each billing cycle.
Other appealing features of this card include the lack of an annual fee and the smart mobile app (which you’d expect to be pretty decent given that Cashplus is a digital-only credit card start-up).
Representative 32.9% APR (variable)
Approval for any credit card will depend 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.
You can make manual repayments through Cashplus's app, by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0330 024 0924). 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.
| Minimum amount | Fixed amount | Fixed percentage | Full amount |
|---|---|---|---|
If you're a Cashplus customer and have received an email or a letter inviting you to apply for its credit card, then you can do it. As of February 2019, the Cashplus credit card is not open to spontaneous applications.
Once you've got the invitation code, looked around and decided this credit card has got what you're looking for, you can apply online. Cashplus says it shouldn't take more than a few minutes, and it'll let you know instantly whether your application has been successful.
If Cashplus is able to offer you this deal, the offer will specify a personalised credit limit based on Cashplus's assessment of your situation. The minimum limit offered on the card is £50, while the maximum is £3,000. Once you've had the card for a while and shown Cashplus that you're reliable, you may wish to apply for a credit limit increase.
Although it's possible, withdrawing cash from a credit card account is generally not a good idea, as "cash-like transactions" (such as withdrawing cash at an ATM, getting cashback at the till, spending at a casino or buying currency) often incur steep fees and/or higher rates of interest.
The cash advance fee on the Cashplus Credit Card is 3% (min. £3). For example, if you withdraw £50, you'll incur a fee of £3.00. Withdraw £250, and you'll incur a fee of £7.50.
The interest rate on this part of your balance will be 49.94%, which is 25% more than the standard purchases rate (chargeable from the day of the transaction – the card's usual "up to 56 days interest-free" grace period won't apply).
Non-sterling transactions are subject to a 2.99% charge (which is very standard). For example, if you spend 200 euros (£167.43), it'll cost you around £5.01 in fees.
Each month you must pay at least 5% of your balance at that point or £10.00 – whichever of the two figures is greater. So if you had, say, £190.00 outstanding, you'd pay £10.00, and if you had £800.00 outstanding, you'd pay £40.00.
Paying only the minimum required amount each month is generally not advisable as it tends to be a very expensive way to borrow money which can lead to persistent debt.
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.