Compare the best 0% purchase credit cards of 2019

A credit card with a 0% purchase rate can help you save on your shopping by charging zero interest on the balance during the promotional period. While the length of the 0% introductory offer varies, you’ll usually be able to get between 3 to 28 months interest-free depending on the credit card you choose.

Use this guide to learn about the benefits of 0% purchase credit cards, how they work and how you can compare the different interest-free offers on the market. We also answer the most common questions about 0% purchase credit card deals to help you get the most out of your next credit card.

0% purchase credit cards comparison

Updated July 15th, 2019

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Name	Product	Purchases	Balance transfers	Annual/monthly fees	Rep. APR		Incentive	Representative example
M&S Bank Shopping Plus Mastercard		0% for 20 months reverting to 19.9%	0% for 20 months reverting to 19.9%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	Go to site More Info	Earn 1 point for every £1 spent at Marks and Spencer's and 1 point for every £5 spent elsewhere. 100 points = £1 reward voucher. Points will be converted into reward vouchers 4 times a year.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
American Express Rewards Purchases Credit Card		0% for 18 months reverting to 22.9%	N/A	£0	22.9% p.a. (variable)	Go to site More Info	Earn 1 Membership Rewards® point for every £1 spent.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 22.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 22.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
M&S Bank Reward Plus Mastercard		0% for 6 months reverting to 19.9%	0% for 6 months reverting to 19.9%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	Go to site More Info	Double points on spend in M&S for first 12 months (2 points per £1). Then earn 1 point for every £1 spent at Marks and Spencer's and 1 point or every £5 spent elsewhere. 100 points = £1 reward voucher. Points will be converted into reward vouchers 4 times a year.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
MBNA 0% Transfer and Purchase Credit Card		0% for 27 months reverting to 20.93%	0% for 27 months reverting to 20.93%	£0	20.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 20.93% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 20.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Barclaycard Platinum 27 Month Purchase and Balance Transfer Visa		0% for 27 months reverting to 19.9%	0% for 27 months reverting to 19.9%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Buy tickets for up to 3500 selected live events through Barclaycard entertainment and get 5% off tickets per year and exclusive pre-sale tickets on selected festivals with 10% off ticket prices.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Clydesdale Bank Gold Mastercard		0% for 26 months reverting to 18.9%	0% for 12 months reverting to 11.9%	£0	18.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 18.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Tesco Bank Clubcard Credit Card 26 Month for Purchases Mastercard		0% for 26 months reverting to 19.944%	0% for 3 months reverting to 21.814%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	1 point per £4 spent (£4 minimum) in Tesco and 1 point per £8 spent (£8 minimum) outside Tesco. Must have available credit to earn points. Points are converted to Tesco vouchers or can be exchanged for Partner rewards to receive money off a variety of restaurants, entertainment or Avios points.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.944% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Santander All in One Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 26 months reverting to 15.9%	0% for 26 months reverting to 15.9%	£3 per month	21.7% p.a. (variable)	More Info	0.5% after £1 of monthly spend. Cashback paid Monthly into Card Account. Maximum spend for cashback purposes is limited to credit limit.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 15.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 21.7% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Yorkshire Bank Gold Mastercard		0% for 26 months reverting to 18.9%	0% for 12 months reverting to 11.9%	£0	18.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 18.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Sainsbury's Bank Purchase Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 26 months reverting to 20.95%	0% for 3 months reverting to 20.95%	£0	20.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn 750 bonus Nectar points each time £35 or more spent on Sainsbury's shopping, up to ten times in your first 2 months, up to a total of 7,500 points, offer available for new customers. Earn 2 Nectar points per £1 spent on Sainsbury's shopping and fuel. Earn 1 Nectar point for every £5 spent elsewhere.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 20.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 20.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Halifax Online Balance Transfer and Purchase Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 24 months reverting to 19.95%	0% for 24 months reverting to 19.95%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bank of Ireland UK Matched Mastercard		0% for 24 months reverting to 19.9%	0% for 24 months reverting to 19.9%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Sainsbury's Bank Dual Offer Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 24 months reverting to 20.95%	0% for 24 months reverting to 20.95%	£0	20.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn 750 bonus Nectar points each time £35 or more spent on Sainsbury's shopping, up to ten times in your first 2 months, up to a total of 7,500 points, offer available for new customers. Earn 2 Nectar points per £1 spent on Sainsbury's shopping and fuel. Earn 1 Nectar point for every £5 spent elsewhere.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 20.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 20.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bank of Scotland Platinum 20 Month Purchase and Balance Transfer Mastercard		0% for 20 months reverting to 19.95%	0% for 20 months reverting to 19.95%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Virgin Money 23 Month All Round Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 20 months reverting to 21.9%	0% for 23 months reverting to 21.9%	£0	21.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn cashback when you shop online with over 500 top brands with Virgin Money Back.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 21.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Lloyds Bank Online Platinum 20 Month Purchase and Balance Transfer Mastercard		0% for 20 months reverting to 19.94%	0% for 20 months reverting to 19.94%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Virgin Money 20 Month Purchase Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 20 months reverting to 21.9%	0% for 12 months reverting to 21.9%	£0	21.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn cashback when you shop online with over 500 top brands with Virgin Money Back.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 21.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Virgin Money 20 Month All Round Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 20 months reverting to 23.9%	0% for 20 months reverting to 23.9%	£0	23.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn cashback when you shop online with over 500 top brands with Virgin Money Back.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 23.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
TSB Platinum 20 Month Purchase Mastercard		0% for 20 months reverting to 19.95%	0% for 20 months reverting to 19.95%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HSBC Purchase Plus Credit Card Visa		0% for 18 months reverting to 22.9%	0% for 18 months reverting to 22.9%	£0	22.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Discounts and exclusive offers for dining experiences, leisure activities and shopping available through HSBC Home and Away.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 22.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 22.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Santander World Elite Mastercard		0% for 18 months reverting to 18.9%	0% for 18 months reverting to 18.9%	£15 per month	49.8% p.a. (variable)	More Info	0.5% on £1 to £3000 of monthly spend. Maximum of £15 cashback paid per month. Cashback paid Monthly into Card Account. Maximum spend for cashback purposes is limited to credit limit.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £15 per month, your representative rate is 49.8% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
first direct Gold Card Visa		0% for 17 months reverting to 16.9%	16.9%	£0	16.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn cashback with selected retailers via Visa Offers, customers can register up to five separate first direct Visa cards.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 16.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 16.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Virgin Money 16 Month All Round Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 16 months reverting to 27.9%	0% for 16 months reverting to 27.9%	£0	27.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn cashback when you shop online with over 500 top brands with Virgin Money Back.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 27.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 27.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Tesco Bank 15 Month All Round Clubcard Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 15 months reverting to 19.944%	0% for 15 months reverting to 21.814%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	1 point per £4 spent (£4 minimum) in Tesco and 1 point per £8 spent (£8 minimum) outside Tesco. Must have available credit to earn points. Points are converted to Tesco vouchers or can be exchanged for Partner rewards to receive money off a variety of restaurants, entertainment or Avios points.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.944% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Virgin Money 12 Month Travel Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 12 months reverting to 21.9%	0% for 12 months reverting to 21.9%	£0	21.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn cashback when you shop online with over 500 top brands with Virgin Money Back.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 21.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Nationwide BS Credit Card Visa		0% for 12 months reverting to 17.9%	0% for 12 months reverting to 17.9%	£0	17.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Customers will be able to earn commission-free purchases abroad by using their Credit Card each time they make a purchase in Sterling. The calculation will be based on a 5:1 ratio - for example, £5 spent in Sterling will earn an allowance of £1 commission free-purchases abroad. Purchases abroad beyond the earned amount will be charged 2% commission.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 17.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 17.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Lloyds Bank Online Platinum 24 Month Balance Transfer Mastercard		0% for 12 months reverting to 19.94%	0% for 24 months reverting to 19.94%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Halifax 25 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 12 months reverting to 19.95%	0% for 25 months reverting to 19.95%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Tesco Bank 12 Month All Round Clubcard Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 12 months reverting to 19.944%	0% for 12 months reverting to 21.814%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	1 point per £4 spent (£4 minimum) in Tesco and 1 point per £8 spent (£8 minimum) outside Tesco. Must have available credit to earn points. Points are converted to Tesco vouchers or can be exchanged for Partner rewards to receive money off a variety of restaurants, entertainment or Avios points.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.944% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bank of Scotland Platinum 24 Month Balance Transfer Mastercard		0% for 12 months reverting to 19.95%	0% for 24 months reverting to 19.95%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Santander Zero Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 12 months reverting to 18.9%	0% for 1 months reverting to 18.9%	£0	18.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Retailer offers - 5 Welcome offers of up to 25% cashback at well-known retailers (must switch on Retailer Offers within 60 days of activating card).	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 18.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Nationwide BS Select Credit Card Visa		0% for 12 months reverting to 15.9%	0% for 12 months reverting to 15.9%	£0	15.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 15.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 15.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
TSB Classic Mastercard		0% for 10 months reverting to 26.95%	0% for 10 months reverting to 26.95%	£0	26.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 26.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 26.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bank of Scotland Classic Mastercard		0% for 9 months reverting to 27.95%	0% for 18 months reverting to 27.95%	£0	27.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 27.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 27.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
John Lewis and Waitrose Partnership Mastercard		0% for 9 months reverting to 18.9%	0% for 18 months reverting to 18.9%	£0	18.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn 1 point for every £1 spent in store or online at John Lewis, Waitrose and John Lewis Insurance. Earn 1 Point for every £2 spent elsewhere. Vouchers issued once customer reaches 500 points in Feb, Jun or Oct when vouchers are automatically issued to customers. Every 500 points is worth £5.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 18.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Lloyds Bank (Branch) Classic Mastercard		0% for 9 months reverting to 27.95%	0% for 18 months reverting to 27.95%	£0	27.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 27.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 27.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HSBC Premier Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 9 months reverting to 18.9%	0% for 18 months reverting to 18.9%	£0	18.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	A selection of rewards from a range of partners. Earn 1 point for every £1 spent within the UK and earn 2 points for every £1 spent outside the UK. Points can be redeemed for shopping vouchers and frequent flyer miles.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 18.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
HSBC Rewards Credit Card		0% for 6 months reverting to 21.9%	0% for 6 months reverting to 21.9%	£0	21.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn 1 point for every £5 spent on purchases. Bonus 2,500 reward points on anniversary if £10,000 spent in previous year for first 5 years.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 21.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 21.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Lloyds Bank Online Platinum 20 Month Balance Transfer Mastercard		0% for 6 months reverting to 19.94%	0% for 20 months reverting to 19.94%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Barclaycard Business (Online) Select Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 6 months reverting to 19.9%	N/A	Year 1 - £0, Year 2 onwards - £32 per annum	26.4% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Business Rewards - giving a range of discounts and rebates (up to 66% off AA membership, save 20% on B2B marketing sites and access to 99 UK business credit reports for £75, 5% Avis rebate, 15% off Ryman's stationary, up to 15% off with APH, £60 driving credit and first year membership free with Zipcar, first year of FSB registration free, 20% off bPay by Barclaycard device, up to 15% off ecommerce website with cloudBuy, 5% rebate on online advertising spend with Bing, 10% off selected hotel reservations for business trips with booking.com, 4% rebate at over 5,000 hotels and 10,000 restaurants and 1% rebate at petrol stations at selected locations with the USA and Canada with Mastercard, 3% off business flights with flybmi and 25% off first £200 spend at Amazon Business).	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of Year 1 - £0, Year 2 onwards - £32 per annum, your representative rate is 26.4% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Barclaycard Platinum 24 Month Balance Transfer Visa		0% for 6 months reverting to 19.9%	0% for 24 months reverting to 19.9%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Buy tickets for up to 3500 selected live events through Barclaycard entertainment and get 5% off tickets per year and exclusive pre-sale tickets on selected festivals with 10% off ticket prices.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Barclaycard Platinum No Fee Balance Transfer Visa		0% for 6 months reverting to 19.9%	0% for 20 months reverting to 19.9%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Buy tickets for up to 3500 selected live events through Barclaycard entertainment and get 5% off tickets per year and exclusive pre-sale tickets on selected festivals with 10% off ticket prices.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
M&S Bank Transfer Plus Mastercard		0% for 6 months reverting to 19.9%	0% for 28 months reverting to 19.9%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Earn 1 point for every £1 spent at Marks and Spencer's and 1 point or every £5 spent elsewhere. 100 points = £1 reward voucher. Points will be converted into reward vouchers 4 times a year.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Barclaycard Business Premium Plus Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 6 months reverting to 14.9%	N/A	£100 per annum	36.2% p.a. (variable)	More Info	0.5% after £1 of yearly spend. Maximum of £400 cashback paid per year. Cashback paid Anniversary into Card Account.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 14.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £100 per annum, your representative rate is 36.2% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Barclaycard Platinum 28 Month Balance Transfer Visa Exclusive		0% for 6 months reverting to 19.9%	0% for 28 months reverting to 19.9%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	Buy tickets for up to 3500 selected live events through Barclaycard entertainment and get 5% off tickets per year and exclusive pre-sale tickets on selected festivals with 10% off ticket prices. Save 5% on food and drink at all UK 02 Academy venues.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bank of Ireland UK Ulster Rugby Affinity Mastercard		0% for 6 months reverting to 17.9%	0% for 6 months reverting to 17.9%	£0	17.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info	A one-off payment to Rugby Club/school of choice plus percentage of annual turnover.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 17.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 17.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Halifax 20 Month Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard		0% for 6 months reverting to 19.95%	0% for 20 months reverting to 19.95%	£0	19.9% p.a. (variable)	More Info		Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 19.95% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 19.9% APR (variable).	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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More about 0% purchase credit cards

A credit card with 0% on purchases allows you to make purchases and pay zero interest on them during a promotional, introductory period. When this period ends, the standard purchase rate will be charged for any remaining balance on your card. If you have some big-ticket purchases to make, a 0% purchase credit card can temporarily keep your interest costs low, which could help you pay off the balance faster.

How can I find the best 0% purchase credit card?

There is no one best 0% interest credit card on the market, because each offer is designed to suit different spending habits and budgets. But you can find a 0% purchase credit card offer that works for you by comparing the following features:

• Length of the 0% purchase promotional period. As the 0% purchase period can range from three to as many as 30 months, it’s important to ensure that the promotional period is sufficient for you. Consider how much you’re going to spend, divide it by the number of months in the promotional period and calculate whether you can repay that much each month to clear the balance before the standard interest rate applies. If not, you might want to apply for a card with a longer promotional period or be prepared to collect some interest when the offer ends.
• Annual fee. Some 0% purchase credit cards charge an annual fee. To determine whether or not the card is worth the cost, consider how much you’ll save with the 0% interest offer and any other perks to see whether the benefits outweigh the cost.
• Standard purchase interest rate. If you’re unable to pay your balance in full by the end of the introductory period, your purchases will begin attracting the standard purchase rate. Depending on the card, this will typically be between 12% and 22%, but can be significantly higher. If you don’t think you can repay the entire balance before the promotion ends, look for a card with a lower ongoing purchase rate. Otherwise, you could enjoy another interest-free period by transferring your debt to a card with a 0% balance transfer offer.
• Extra benefits. Does the card come with complimentary travel insurance? Do you want to earn rewards points on your purchases? Will your purchases be covered by purchase protection and an extended warranty? Can you access a 24/7 concierge service? If you will be using the card for more than just the 0% offer, comparing these features can help set the cards apart.

Types of 0% purchase credit cards and extra features

While each of these cards offers 0% on purchases, there are several types of interest free purchase credit cards. You can compare the additional benefits and features to determine which type of 0% purchase credit card is right for you.

4 common mistakes to avoid with 0% purchase credit cards

Want to get the most out of a 0% interest period? Here are four things to avoid:

1. Ignoring the “revert rate”. At the end of the promotional period, the 0% interest rate will revert to the standard purchase rate (which usually sits between 12% and 22%, but be higher). Consider the standard interest rate before applying for the card so you understand how your debt will grow if you fail to repay your balance before the promotional period ends.
2. Only making the minimum repayment. You’ll be required to make minimum repayments, usually 2% or 3% of the total balance, each statement period. However, if you only match the minimum amount each month, you’ll be unable to repay your entire balance before the 0% offer finishes. If you make more than the minimum repayment, you’ll have a much better chance of repaying your balance before the standard rate applies and you start paying a higher interest rate. If you’re unable to repay your balance before the 0% purchase offer ends, a balance transfer might be the next step.
3. Ineligible transactions. The 0% offer only applies to eligible purchases. If you use your card for balance transfers, cash advances or other cash-equivalent transactions, they’ll usually be charged at the standard rate unless a separate promotional offer applies.
4. Not taking advantage of the entire offer period. The 0% offer is available as soon as your card is approved, not from when you make your first purchase. So if your card offers a 0% offer for six months but you don’t make a purchase or any repayments for the first month, you’ll only have five more months to make repayments without incurring interest. If you have a big purchase in mind, make it as soon as possible and start making repayments immediately to get maximum value out of the offer length.

The introductory 0% interest periods offered in these cards can be a great way to save money on planned purchases and big-ticket items that you need to buy. When you’re comparing these cards, pay attention to how long the promotional period lasts, what interest rate applies at the end of the promotional period and other features and fees so that you can find one that suits your needs.

Popular questions about 0% purchase credit card offers from our users

• Does the 0% purchase offer apply for foreign currency transactions when shopping overseas or online?

  As long as it’s an eligible purchase, overseas purchases will not be charged any interest during the promotional period. However, you may be charged foreign currency conversion fees. You can compare credit cards which do not charge currency conversion fees in our detailed guide.

• How many purchases will receive the 0% interest rate?

  All eligible purchases made once the card is activated until the end of the promotional period will not collect any interest. However, any remaining balances that haven’t been repaid by the end of the promotional offer will start to collect interest.

  Please note that ineligible transactions (such as cash advances or balance transfers) will accrue the standard rate of interest.

• When does the 0% purchase promotion start?

  The 0% promotion will begin either when your credit card application is approved or upon credit card activation, depending on the bank. It will generally take 3-5 business days for your card to be sent to your address after application approval. So if you want to take advantage of the full promotional period, you’ll need to remember that the offer period begins when you open the card rather than when you make your first purchase.

• What types of transactions are eligible to receive 0% interest?

  Your transactions need to qualify as an “eligible purchase” to be covered under the 0% purchase promotion. Eligible purchases are generally defined as everyday purchases which involve the exchange of goods or service for a payment. Transactions that do not qualify as eligible purchases generally include business expenses, gambling transactions, balance transfers and cash advances. If you are unsure about whether your transaction will qualify, contact your bank directly for clarification.

• What is the interest rate after the 0% promotional period?

  After your 0% purchase promotion has finished, the balance outstanding on purchases made will be charged interest at the regular purchase rate, usually known as the “standard rate” or “revert rate”. You can consider moving your outstanding purchase amount to a 0% balance transfer credit card, which will give you more time to repay your debt interest free.

• Do interest-free days apply during a 0% purchase promotion?

  For the length of the 0% purchase promotion period, standard interest-free days offers do not apply. If your card comes with an interest-free days feature (say, for up to 55 days), then you’ll be able to take advantage of this when the promotional period ends and if you pay your entire balance in full by the end of the statement period.

• Do I have to make any repayments with a 0% purchase promotion?

  Yes. You must make the minimum monthly repayment of the credit card even with a 0% purchase promotion available. This repayment is generally around 2%-3% of the full outstanding balance, or a set pound amount if the outstanding balance is below a certain level (usually £5). Please note that paying the minimum monthly repayment isn’t usually enough to repay the entire balance before the promotional period ends. So if you want to avoid collecting the standard interest rate, pay as much as you can each month to clear the balance in full before the standard interest rate applies.

• Can I pay my bills or government payments with no interest cards?

  Banks generally exclude bill and government payments from eligible purchases so they will not be considered an interest-free purchase. If you would like to inquire further, contact your bank’s customer service team directly.

Chris Lilly

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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.