NewDay, new review: Is Pulse’s exclusive card any good?

The Pulse Card (existing NewDay customers only) is issued on the Mastercard network, so it's accepted at more than 50 million merchant locations across more than 210 countries and territories.

What is the Pulse Card?

The Pulse Card is a new Mastercard credit card from NewDay and it replaces all existing NewDay credit cards. You can use the Pulse Card wherever the Mastercard logo is displayed.

The Pulse Card works in the same way as any other credit card, enabling you to buy items now and pay for them later. You’ll be sent a bill each month and if you pay off the balance in full, you won’t pay any interest. If you choose to pay off a smaller amount, the remaining balance will be carried over to the next month and you’ll be charged interest.

On top of this, the credit card enables you to earn cashback on your spending, as we explain below.

Main features of the Pulse Card

The key features of the Pulse Card are outlined below:

• Get 0.25% cashback every time you shop, up to a maximum of £150 cashback per year
• Option to pay with contactless, Google Pay or Apple Pay
• New Pulse app to help you keep track of your account 24/7 and freeze and unfreeze your card if needed
• No annual fees

How do I get a Pulse Card?

The Pulse credit card is offered by invitation only, which means you’ll only be able to get one if you’re an existing NewDay cardholder. If you are, you should have recently received a letter explaining that your existing NewDay card will be replaced by the Pulse Card.

The letter will include instructions about how to get and activate your new card. This will involve signing in to the Online Account Manager on the Pulse website and downloading the Pulse app (you should be able to use your existing NewDay login details).

You must activate your Pulse Card within 90 days of receiving it and you will not be able to use your existing NewDay card once your Pulse Card has been activated.

As you’re an existing NewDay cardholder, no credit checks will need to be carried out before you receive your new card. What’s more, your existing NewDay card credit balance, credit limit, rates and charges will all be carried across to the Pulse Card.

What if I have more than one NewDay card?

If you have more than one NewDay card, your letter will explain which card you’re being invited to replace with a Pulse Card. All other card accounts will close and you will no longer be able to use them from the date specified in your letter. However, you will still be responsible for making at least the minimum monthly repayment on the card(s) until your balance has been repaid in full.

If you would prefer not to be sent a Pulse Card, you’ll need to follow the steps in the letter you’ve been sent and your account will then be closed. Again, you will still be required to repay any remaining balance in full.

Who’s it for?

If you’re an existing NewDay cardholder, being transferred over to the new Pulse credit card should be a relatively straightforward process. You’ll get the same credit limit and interest rate and you’ll be able to benefit from a refreshed app and the chance to earn cashback.

However, overall, the Pulse credit card doesn’t offer anything hugely special and there are more competitive cashback options out there. For example, the American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday card lets you earn 5% cashback for the first 3 months, up to £100, and between 0.5% and 1% cashback on spending after that. So you’ll need to weigh up whether it’s worth sticking with Pulse or moving elsewhere.

How does it compare with other cashback deals?

Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first

1 - 4 of 15

Updated daily

Name	Product	Rewards earn rate	Max. intro bonus	Purchases	Representative APR	Link	Incentive	Representative example
Santander All in One Credit Card		0.5% cashback	N/A	0% for 15 months reverting to 23.9%	29.8% APR (variable)	Check eligibility Read review Compare	0.5% after £1 of monthly spend. Maximum of £10 cashback paid per month. Cashback paid monthly into Card Account. Maximum spend for cashback purposes is limited to credit limit. Every time you spend abroad in the local currency using your Santander debit or credit card between 18 June to 15 September 2024, you'll be entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 18 travel vouchers each worth £5,000 each. T&Cs apply.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £3 per month, your representative rate is 29.8% APR (variable).	loading Fetching your data...
Amex® Cashback Everyday Credit Card Finder Award		1% cashback	£100	31%	31% APR (variable)	Check eligibility Read review Compare	Welcome offer: Get 5% cashback on your purchases (up to £100) for the first 3 months of Cardmembership. Terms and minimum spend apply. 18+, subject to status.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 31% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 31% APR (variable).	loading Fetching your data...
Amex® Cashback Credit Card Finder Award		1.25% cashback	£125	31%	36.7% APR (variable)	Check eligibility Read review Compare	New Cardmembers get 5% cashback on your purchases (up to £125) for the first 3 months of Cardmembership. T&Cs apply, 18+, subject to status.	Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 31% (variable) p.a. with a fee of £25 per annum, your representative rate is 36.7% APR (variable).	loading Fetching your data...
Pulse Card Mastercard (existing NewDay customers only)		0.25% cashback	N/A	Your interest rate will stay the same as your current NewDay card	APR (variable)	Read review Compare	Get 0.25% cashback every time you shop, up to a maximum of £150 cashback per year	If you are a current NewDay customer and have been invited to transfer to a Pulse Card, your interest rate and credit limit will remain the same.	loading Fetching your data...

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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. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.