BEST FOR
Cashback

BEST FOR
Cashback
Promoted for
Credit builder
BEST FOR
No-fee balance transfers
BEST FOR
Avios points
If you’re planning to book a holiday in the coming weeks, a 0% purchase credit card could help you to spread the cost interest-free. And this month, the NatWest Purchase and Balance Transfer credit card takes the top spot, offering a competitive 23 months at 0%.
Alternatively, if you’re paying off existing debt at a high rate of interest, switching it to a 0% balance transfer credit card could save you a lot in interest and help you clear your debt faster. This month’s longest 0% deal is also from NatWest – the NatWest Longer Balance Transfer credit card, offering 30 months at 0%. Just watch out for the 2.99% transfer fee and make sure you’ve cleared your debt before the interest-free period ends.
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Check if you're eligible for this card
Balance transfer credit cards let you move existing credit card debt to a new card, where you’ll enjoy 0% interest on the balance for a set period. At the end of this introductory 0% period, the card’s standard rate kicks in – which is typically much higher. Provided you don’t use them for additional spending, these cards allow you to clear debt faster because all of your monthly repayment goes towards the outstanding balance. The catch? There’s generally a “balance transfer fee” to pay – which is a percentage of the balance you’re transferring.
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0% purchase credit cards let you make purchases up to your credit limit and then pay 0% interest on them for a promotional, introductory period. At the end of this period, any outstanding balance will start to accrue interest at the card’s standard purchase rate, which will be much higher.
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Cashback credit cards reward you for spending in the form of pounds or credit on your account. How much you can earn will depend on the card’s “earn rate”, plus any “earnings caps”. Cards that are affiliated with a brand may offer a better earn rate when you spend with that brand, and in some cases, cards come with an introductory enhanced earn rate for a specified period or an enhanced earn rate once your spending has exceeded a specified threshold.
These credit cards are designed to make it more affordable to spend money overseas or online with international retailers. Unlike most debit and credit cards, they don’t charge a foreign transaction fee when you use your card to spend in an international currency. Currencies will usually be converted using the standard Mastercard rate or Visa rate. Just remember that “fee-free” does not mean “interest-free”.
When you’re using one of these cards, don’t forget that if a merchant/bank abroad offers to take payment in sterling (this is called dynamic currency conversion), you should decline and choose to pay in the local currency. Otherwise, it will be the local bank or merchant whose currency conversion fee structure will apply, rather than your card issuers.
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Credit builders are simple credit cards designed to improve credit scores, for people with bad or no credit history. Expect low starting credit limits which can be quickly reviewed provided the card is used responsibly. This type of card will often be a “stepping stone” product to credit products with a better interest rate.
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Frequent flyer credit cards let you earn frequent flyer points or air miles on everyday purchases, either directly or by transferring card reward points to your chosen airline loyalty programme e.g. Avios. These cards tend to be more premium options, so there’s often an annual fee to consider, but chances are it’ll be offset by some tasty perks.
A 0% money transfer card allows you to make transfers from the credit card to your bank account, and won’t charge interest on this balance for a specified period. After the 0% period, the card’s standard rate kicks in, which is invariably much higher.
It depends on how you use the card, for example, if you carry a balance on your credit card from month to month, then you’ll usually pay more in interest than you’ll earn in rewards. If you always clear your balance in full each month, however, then with most cards on the UK market, you won’t pay interest at all, thanks to a grace period on purchases. That means that, provided you choose the right card and use it carefully, you can earn reward points without paying interest.
Some rewards or frequent flyer cards come with annual or monthly account management charges, but thankfully, plenty don’t charge this fee. If you think you would spend a lot on a credit card but would also clear your balance in full each month, then paying an annual fee might actually be worth it. That’s because these are the cards which tend to come with the best reward point earn rates.
Possibly, yes. Although realistically some top cards will be off the table, there are plenty of card issuers that specialise in credit builder cards – which are specifically designed for those with a damaged or limited credit history.
Additionally, the interest rates and credit limits of credit cards are often tailored to the applicant, which means you may find that you are offered a card, but with a relatively low opening credit limit, and potentially with a rate that’s higher than the advertised representative APR.
Virgin Atlantic and American Express are frequently to be found battling it out at the top of frequent flyer comparison tables.
If you can make your peace with an annual fee, the British Airways Premium Plus Card offers the highest Avios earn rate, while Amex’s Preferred Rewards Gold Card comes with two complimentary airport lounge visits annually.
If you’re just starting out your credit card journey, you might have a low credit score and will not be able to apply for some of the more competitive rates on the market. However, there are credit builder credit cards available to those looking to build or rebuild their credit history, these could be a good place to start.
We asked cardholders to rate their satisfaction with service, and whether they’d recommend their card issuer to a friend. We’ve shown both for each brand in the table below. Our independent survey of 2,749 card customers was carried out in December 2022. The table is ordered by the percentage of customers who said they’d recommend the brand to a friend.
Card issuer | Image | Overall satisfaction | Would recommend | Review | Link |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Express | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 93% | American Express offers a range of credit cards to cater to all types of customers, as well as the exclusive Experiences rewards programme. | See the range |
M&S Bank | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 88% | Similar to other credit cards operated by retailers, M&S Bank lets you earn M&S points on every credit card transaction, and offers preferential foreign exchange rates to cardholders. | See the range |
Sainsbury’s | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 83% | The UK’s second-biggest supermarket brand, with Sainsbury’s you can earn Nectar points on all credit card transactions, with bonus points for new customers. | See the range |
NatWest | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 94% | NatWest offers specialised rewards and balance transfer cards, as well as a student credit card. | See the range |
Lloyds Bank | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 87% | Lloyds Bank has a wide variety of credit card products, with rewards, cashback and even specialised cards for large purchases. | See the range |
Santander | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 87% | Santander, the Spanish banking giant, offers generous cashback benefits and credit cards aimed at those looking to travel abroad. | See the range |
Halifax | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 87% | Halifax combines 0% balance transfers and purchases on one card. It also offers the low-rate FlexiCard. | See the range |
HSBC | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 85% | One of the world’s largest banks, HSBC has an extensive credit card product range, with 24/7 customer service and global reward systems. | See the range |
Virgin Money | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 84% | Virgin Money provides a number of bonus credit card programmes, such as Virgin Red, and offers discounts across the entire Virgin Group. With a Virgin Atlantic credit card, you can also collect air miles to spend on flights and upgrades. | See the range |
Tesco Bank | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 84% | Tesco Bank has a wide range of credit card products, and you can earn Tesco Clubcard points on every transaction you make using your card. | See the range |
Barclaycard | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 83% | Barclaycard offers balance transfer, rewards and everyday cards. | See the range |
MBNA | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 83% | MBNA is part of the Lloyds Banking Group and offers a range of credit cards with extended 0% balance transfer and purchase periods. | See the range |
Capital One | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 81% | Capital One offers credit-builder cards for those looking to improve their credit score, and also offers a credit report check without affecting your score. | See the range |
Wave | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 80% | With Chetwood Financial’s Wave credit card you can borrow up to £1,750 while building your credit history. | Read our review |
Asda Money | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 79% | Asda Money‘s credit cards offer competitive rates, a credit building option and the chance to earn cashback in the form of “Asda Pounds” | See the range |
Aqua | ![]() | ★★★★★ | 71% | Aqua credit cards offer limits of up to £1,200 and are aimed at customers looking to build their credit score. | See the range |
In December 2022, we ran a customer satisfaction survey on credit cards. 2,749 people responded and gave us their opinion on their current credit card provider.
The survey asked respondents how satisfied they are with their credit card (using a 1-5 rating) and whether they would recommend the brand to a friend. We converted the responses into star ratings and produced a shortlist of the top-performing companies based on customer satisfaction. When there was a draw, we used the recommendation score (that is, the percentage of customers who said they would recommend the brand to a friend) as a tie-breaker.
You can get a full breakdown of our ratings methodology for credit cards here.
Our customer satisfaction scores ("Customers say") are based on a survey of 2,749 customers carried out in December 2022.
To find out more, read our full methodology.
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